Dating in the Dark
by penpractice
Summary: Before you meet your handsome prince ... As if her life weren't complicated enough, Sookie has to dance through the perils of dating while she also walks the line between the human and supernatural communities of Northern Louisiana. Set after bk 5: Dead as a Doornail. Canon ish
1. Once Upon a Time in Bon Temps

**Hello. *waves* So, this is a new story that is not related to the other fanfics I've written (except of course it is the same fandom). For fans of Henry and co, I am working on another story in that series but in the mean time I wanted to try something a bit different.**

**The events of this story start shortly after Dead as a Doornail (book 5). I have altered some details from the books both in the form of minor changes to the story (all of which will hopefully be clear) and in the way certain things work – for example the process of blood-bonding. Any questions though just ask. **

**I have kept alive the character of Ginger but based her on a mix of Charlaine Harris' character and Alan Ball's. **

**As with the books, most of the story is told from Sookie's POV but on occasion parts will be told from 3rd person POV following Pam to give the reader information not available to Sookie. **

**This is ultimately a story about Eric and Sookie, but it will take a while for them to realise that so please bear with them. Rated T for now may move up to M later.**

**[***] indicates a time lapse of minutes or hours within the same day (or night).**

**[~~~] indicates a time lapse to the next day or some days later.**

**Some things to remember from this point in the story. Sookie's heritage has not yet come to light, Sookie and Eric are not blood bonded, and she does not yet know that Bill was sent to 'acquire' her. I am changing some aspects of these points from the books. I hope you enjoy the story, but all comments and thoughts are welcome. **

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

As always mass thanks to my wonderful beta treewitch703 *waves a big 'treewitch703 is great' banner* If you haven't already, you should check out her story Parallel Worlds which is on her blog.

So on with the show:

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**Chapter One: Once Upon a Time in Bon Temps**

**Dating Don't: Don't Show up naked and covered in blood.**

My heels echoed on the tiled floor as I followed Deputy Kevin Prior back to the cells. He glanced at me with pity a couple of times but I stayed out of his head, I didn't want to hear it. A lump tightened my throat as we stopped walking; straightening my back I swallowed trying to clear it. Kevin took out a large bunch of keys and opened the cell gesturing that I could enter. I hesitated.

It had been three weeks since the night Charles Twining had tried to kill me in Merlotte's. Until today, life had settled down. The repairs on my house were complete, thanks to Alcide providing extra able bodies, and I'd moved back in. I think it was his way of saying he didn't blame me for what happened to his father. Even though I knew a part of him did. Which was why he was never with the large crews he'd sent to get the work done. He'd also cut me a break on the price for a lot of the work, so the insurance had covered most of it. I'd still had some money saved in the bank after everything was paid for. Until half an hour ago anyway. No one had tried to kill me for a while and I'd had no calls for help. Until the call this morning that is, the one that now had me walking into a cell. When my phone had started ringing at seven-am, I'd known in my gut it wasn't going to be a good day.

I was trying to live a normal, supe free, life … Aside from my brother, who I didn't really think of as a supe most of the time … and Calvin and his panthers, because they were helping my brother … and the Weres who had been on the building crews … and Sam, who was my boss … and Bill who was a regular at the bar, and recently my house as well … Dammit, who was I kidding! I was trying to live an 'Eric' free life, and that was only because he hadn't made any effort to contact me since he'd left Sam's office three weeks ago. I hadn't even seen hide nor hair of Pam. I found I really missed her, though I knew that was a little pathetic of me. Bill had told me stiffly that Eric was very busy with his Sheriff duties when I mentioned his absence – casually – in passing.

Eventually I figured that now he knew I'd 'yielded' to him, even if he couldn't remember it, he'd lost interest. I mean he'd still tried to save me from Charles, but that was probably only because Charles had been working for him, or because he didn't want Hot Rain to get what he wanted or something. Whatever. Sweet Eric was gone and political Eric was back. I was moving on and not thinking of either of them at all, as I reminded myself, frequently.

Kevin was looking at me expectantly so I steeled myself and walked slowly into the cell.

Jason was sitting on the bunk with his head in his hands. Someone had managed to find him some shorts but other than that he was naked and filthy under the standard issue cop-car blanket that hung over his shoulders. He looked up when I entered. I'd never seen him looking so sorry for himself. Not even when he'd gotten suspended from the football team just before the big game in high school. (He'd gotten caught with one of the cheerleaders in the back of the team bus.)

"Oh Sook, thank God." He launched himself at me, the blanket slipping to the floor, and hugged a little too hard. My ribs still ached.

It turned out I had four cracked ribs from Charles' attack. They had not been too bad at first but I'd overdone it trying to help at my house so they were still healing. I'd gotten into trouble with the Weres when they heard me yelp and from there-on-in confined myself to providing drinks and food – my chilli was a big hit on the colder days. (Sam had loaned me one of the big pots from Merlotte's and even helped me take it over and set up a makeshift pit stop.)

I flinched in his grip but Jason didn't seem to notice and just continued to cling to me.

"Let's get out of here, come on," I said disentangling myself and pulling him towards the door. Kevin couldn't restrain his 'ewwww' face as Jason left blood and mud all over my white sweater.

"What took you so long? I've been here for hours and …" Jason's eyes were a little wild, though I wasn't sure if that was because he was between his two moon-time changes or just from sitting in a cell still covered in dirt and blood all day.

"Shhh, come on, let's just get you home and cleaned up, then we'll talk about it." It really wasn't a good idea to talk here, my brother's idea of speaking in code wasn't exactly hard to crack.

I drove slowly through the late February drizzle that drifted through the trees and across the roads. Jason was silent as we travelled, for once not even fiddling with my radio channel. My wake-up call had been from him saying he was at the station and I needed to come bail him out. At first I thought it was something simple, drunk and disorderly or that sort of thing. I knew Bud liked to let them sweat for a while before dropping the charges, it kept them from doing it too often. I had been halfway to the station before the coffee I'd downed while pulling on some clothes had kicked in enough for me to remember he'd been out at Hotshot last night. It had been a full moon.

Once I'd gotten to the station it took a while, even _with_ my disability, to piece together what had actually happened. Jason had been found at daybreak, naked, covered in mud and blood, in a woman's back yard, fast asleep on a sun chaise. Unfortunately, the woman was the daughter of a local judge, so the police were afraid to be lenient. My brother had been locked up and charged with a whole load of stuff, from trespassing to indecent exposure. Though some of the charges had already been dropped, the judge's daughter still insisted on kicking up a big fuss, claiming to be traumatised by the 'pervert' that had 'targeted' her.

Kevin hadn't been dealing with the case but offered to take me to the cells when Andy refused to, even though I'd posted the bail. Andy had been more than happy to do everything the woman's father asked, he didn't think much of either of the two remaining Stackhouses. But he was still too spooked by my disability to speak with me directly. He kept asking some visiting cop from the Monroe station to explain things so he wouldn't have to deal to me.

The Monroe cop was rude and thought I was trailer trash. I would have avoided him completely if I'd had a choice but since Andy repeatedly ducked out of sight, I was stuck dealing with him. He wasn't even officially on the case, he was just in town for some training talk or something. Even so, he was more than happy to speak to me, since it enabled him to let me know just how little he thought of my brother and me. (He argued hard against Jason getting bail.)

When I suggested that, while it might be surprising to find one in your yard, surely the woman had seen a naked man before, I was curtly informed that the Judge's daughter was a 'proper lady,' _unlike me_ was the accompanying thought. From the policeman's head I also knew she was a sheltered spinster who spent so much time at church that everyone was surprised when she'd cancelled her plans to become a nun. In my experience, these were the sort of people that had the strangest skeletons in their closets but I hadn't been near to her to know what her deal was.

Through a combination of words and thoughts, I was eventually able to get enough from the Monroe cop to work out what was happening and what I needed to do.

They had breathalysed Jason which came back negative for alcohol, so he couldn't use that as an explanation. They also tested the blood on him which turned out to be animal blood. The cops still thought he was a weirdo for having it on his face and round his mouth, but at least they didn't add murder one to the charges.

The only other judge in the area had agreed to set bail, mainly because of political differences with those who didn't want it, (the woman's father and some of the police). They had pushed him to cut his fishing trip short in order to deal with this 'important' case. The bail amount was set high because the judge's daughter was still insisting he had exposed himself to her with intent, even though Jason had been asleep right up until _after_ the cruiser pulled up to answer her 911 call.

The nearest bail bondsman was in Shreveport and he wouldn't deal with me when I called so we couldn't use my house or Jason's as collateral (I got the impression the Monroe cop had put in a call but I couldn't prove anything). Since Jason has never saved a penny in his life it was up to me to cover the amount. After spending nearly all day at the police station trying to get answers, and waiting for test results, I'd had to use all my remaining savings as well as some money that should have been paying my bills _and_ my overdraft, to cover it. Still, I'd get it back and I couldn't leave Jason in there, he would shift again tonight.

"What the hell happened? Why weren't you with the rest of the panthers? Surely they didn't leave you there?" I asked once he came out of the shower and was digging into the sausage and eggs I'd cooked for him. He was wearing the jeans Eric had left at my house, the ones the memoryless vampire had been wearing when I found him. (The other item Eric had left was folded discreetly in a bottom drawer in my bedroom.) The jeans were much too long and Jason had rolled them up. I actually had a variety of men's clothes in my spare room. Jason would have done better to grab something of Sam's that he kept here for when 'Dean' fell asleep, or even some of the clothes Bill had left.

Rather than looking pissed at being deserted, or sheepish for making a mistake, Jason actually looked excited at he launched into his story:

"We were out on the run when I caught the scent of some nutria. So I take off after them, them fuckers are quick but I was quicker. I reckon I got at least three of them." For a moment I could see a touch of the cat in my brother, though to me it was more like when Tina used to drop presents off by the back door. I had an image of my brother in panther form proudly laying a large dead rodent on the porch.

I shook it off as he continued in an indignant rant. "You know it's really unfair. I mean I was just doing my civic duty, what with the damage they do to the Bayou." I glared at him, that was hardly the issue right now. He seemed to notice I was less than impressed and continued on with his story. Though he took the time to give me a frown first, clearly disappointed in my lack of sisterly pride regarding his hunting prowess.

"So, once I'd unleashed some panther whup-ass, I stopped to catch my breath, just for a minute, and it sucks laying in the wet grass when it's this cold, so I hopped up onto this lounge chair. The next thing I know some jack-ass po po is in my face. He's all like; 'Boy, boy! Whutchew doin' nekkid back chere, boy? Yew drunk? Miz Betty thinks yew been lookin' at her, yew'" I pulled a face at Jason's imitation of a Cajun accent and he finally looked a little embarrassed.

"I just stopped to rest for a minute, I swear," he defended under my harsh gaze, dropping out of campfire-story mode.

"And you fell asleep?" He nodded and avoided my eye by mopping up some egg with a biscuit. "Well I guess it could have been worse," I said with a sigh. "If she'd found you earlier, before you shifted back …" I shuddered at what that would have meant.

"Yeah, I know, huh!" The thought clearly hadn't occurred to Jason before I mentioned it. He looked worried for a moment but then shrugged and continued to shovel food into his mouth.

"Still would have been fine if that stupid woman hadn't kicked up such a fuss and insisted on pressing charges. It's not like _I_ saw _her_ naked. Hey, I should press charges against _her_ for being a peeping tom or whatever." He looked excited, like this would fix everything. I shook my head at him.

"I don't think it counts as peeping when it's your own yard," I said trying to control my temper at my brother's stupidity. He really didn't think he'd done anything wrong. He took a moment to think about this then just dropped his head back to his food.

I knew Jason wasn't as worried about the whole thing as he should be, but he'd looked so forlorn when I'd seen him sitting in that cell. I didn't have the heart to break the seriousness of it to him just yet. It could wait until he'd finished eating at least, which by the looks of it wouldn't be long.

"I mean what rotten luck, the one house that belongs to a judge's daughter," he mumbled between mouthfuls.

"Why were you even near any houses? I thought y'all stuck to the woods." Unlike vampires, shifters hadn't come out to the human population, they were good at staying hidden and didn't take risks.

"Like I said, I was on the trail of the nutria. Didn't really notice where I was, what with the thrill of the hunt an' all." Jason however was new to the world of shifters. Unlike a born were, he hadn't had these lessons drummed into him from infancy.

Before I could ask more I heard a truck coming up the drive. Jason was still mopping his plate with the last of the biscuits so I went to see who it was.

"What happened?" It was Calvin and he was half out his truck by the time I opened the door. He started to march towards the house as I came out. We'd spoken briefly earlier in the day and agreed it was less suspicious if I dealt with getting my brother out of jail. I'd called him again when Jason was in the shower to let him know we were home.

"He fell asleep in some woman's back yard and she found him there this morning. She freaked out because he was naked and called the police," I explained as I walked down the porch steps to meet him. I didn't add that she'd said he'd been playing with himself, though he'd insisted he was just having a good scratch.

"What was he doing in a residential area? He could have outed us all," Calvin snapped angrily.

"What was he doing alone?" I countered. "It was only his second time shifting, and you promised you'd look after him." I put my hands on my hips. Jason might have been stupid but he hadn't asked to be bitten.

Calvin took a breath and looked down for a second before replying.

"I had some other things to take care of last night. I stayed near home and sent him off with the boys." He met my eye. "I'll look into it," he promised. Calvin and I shared a moment. Each of us knew it wasn't really the other ones fault. We didn't say anything but I dropped my hostile posture and he touched my arm gently. "Is he here?" He asked after removing his hand.

"Inside. Did you bring his clothes?" I was happy to go back inside, the sun was well past its zenith and the air was cooling rapidly.

"Yep, I'll get them." Calvin opened the door of his truck and picked up a pile of neatly folded clothes from the passenger seat.

"He'd better come with me, we need to straighten this out before moon-rise," he said shutting the door with his hip.

"OK." I scooted back up the steps ahead of him to hold the door and we headed inside.

Jason went to change into his own clothes while I poured coffee and chatted to Calvin.

"His court date is a week from tomorrow, Friday at ten AM. I'll call and remind him. He'll need to get his suit cleaned." Calvin nodded as I read through the paperwork and chattered on nervously. I was hoping the packmaster would help me make sure Jason did what he supposed to do and showed up where he was supposed to. "I can't afford a lawyer for him, it took all my money for the bail, but he owns his own house, he might be able to raise the money that way."

Considering the almost non-existent legal community in the area we might struggle to find anyone prepared to represent Jason anyway. Upsetting a local judge wasn't something any lawyer would want to do. My brother couldn't serve time because of his 'furry little problem,' as the Harry Potter books put it. I wasn't sure the public defender would do a good enough job to get him off with without jail time. (He'd come into Merlotte's once and I knew he had about three times as many cases as he could realistically handle.) We might have to bring someone in from further away and that would cost even more money.

"Don't worry, we take care of our own, and he's one of us now," Calvin assured me with another pat on the arm. He hadn't so much as glanced at the paperwork I'd offered him but maybe he wanted to read it through carefully later, when he could give it his full attention.

"Thanks Calvin." I did feel reassured. Calvin was the sort of man you always thought of in terms of 'steady' and 'reliable'.

They left a little after that following a round of hugs that got a bit confused and ended with Calvin and Jason hugging each other briefly until they pulled away embarrassed. Once they were gone I went through to pick up the towel, police issue shorts and Eric's jeans which Jason had left on the floor of the spare room. He'd only had them on for a bit but I thought I'd better wash them anyway. Checking my watch, I hustled through the shower. I was working tonight. I made a mental note to ask Sam for some extra shifts. Despite earning quite a bit less on the day shift, I had swapped my Friday night this week because Bill was taking me out. I wouldn't be able to do that again for a while, I couldn't afford to lose any more money. My budget would be really tight until I got Jason's bail money back.

Bill and I had spent a few evenings together recently. Nothing fancy. He'd come to see me at the duplex that Sam had rented to me; he'd wanted to check on me after Charles' attack. After carefully checking my ribs (this was how I'd known four of my ribs had been cracked), he'd offered me his blood which I'd refused. Bill had stayed while I'd curled up on the couch to watch Gone with the Wind for about the millionth time. Just like when he'd stayed with me in the hospital after Sweetie D'Artes shot me, he hadn't asked me any questions, hadn't tried to talk, he'd just sat with me. I liked his company, it was undemanding, which after so much upheaval was heaven. When I got tired, he'd let me snuggle against him without pushing things further or trying anything. I'd fallen asleep and awoken in bed but he hadn't removed my clothes, he'd simply tucked me under the quilt.

After that night he'd stopped by regularly to see me, either at work or at home. After a week he'd 'let slip' that he wasn't seeing Selah Pumphrey any more but didn't make a move on me, which I appreciated. I wasn't ready to risk my heart again. We talked easily about the little things. It was nice to have someone to watch movies with, to have someone that called to ask how my day was, just because he cared. We simply avoided any mention of the tough topics.

Then last week he had mentioned the concert tomorrow and asked if I wanted to go. Neither of us had said anything but the invitation sort of felt date-ish. It was like, as long as neither of us mentioned that out loud, it was OK. I knew from what I 'heard' that many of the Merlotte's regulars thought we were back together. Sam was also very curious about the time I spent with my ex but I couldn't answer his questions since I wasn't really sure where we stood myself.

Bill would be picking me up at seven tomorrow night and driving us into Shreveport for an open air concert. Classical music was being played by a local orchestra. I didn't know anything about classical music but the idea of going to a concert made me feel really grown up. Bill assured me that Batch was really good. I didn't know if it was called that because they had a whole bunch of musicians playing together, or how that differed from other classical stuff, but I was determined to enjoy it.

Apparently it was like a picnic, only at night, we'd all sit around, eating and drinking while the band played. It seemed the wrong time of year for this kind of thing but the organiser was a vampire that Bill knew who thought there was a market for a concert series celebrating the long winter's nights now that they were out of the coffin.

I threw the towel, shorts and Eric's jeans in the washer then headed out for work trying not to worry about Jason. Calvin would look after him.


	2. Forward to the Past

Wow, it is so nice to hear from so many familiar names :) I really hope you'll all enjoy the story and with that in mind I'll get on with it.

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Thanks to my wonderful beta treewitch703 :) *does a little treewitch703 cheer* (though not in a cheerleader outfit 'coz seriously nobody wants to see that!)

So here we go – Apologies Eric fans, *hides*, Compton commeth:

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**Chapter 2: Forward to the Past**

**Dating Do: Do try to enjoy yourself. Even if your date has previously nearly killed you, it's unlikely he'll do that again.**

The following night at exactly seven o'clock there was a knock at the door and I ran to open it. I was actually really excited to be going out. The cool evening air hit my face, blowing my hair back as I flung the door open.

"Hey Bill," I smiled brightly at him. I had on lots of warm clothes and two blankets were hanging over the back of the chair all ready. In theory I was bringing one for each of us but I knew Bill wouldn't need his and I might need extra. "Do I look OK?" I spread my arms and gave him a twirl.

I was wearing a long stretch winter skirt with a snuggly nubbled sweater, the neckline of which accentuated my assets without flashing too much cleavage. The outfit was warm but still pretty and, I thought, classy. I also had on neat little ankle boots with block heels that wouldn't sink in the grass but still added a little height. I felt I'd done a good job of dressing up while being practical about where we were going.

"No, you do not look OK," he said. I stopped turning and my face fell. I mentally started running through my wardrobe, wondering what I should have picked. "You look much better than OK, as you always do," he said after a pause. I slapped him on the chest.

"Don't do that to me," I laughed. "I was really worried for a minute." Bill smiled. Holding my hand to his chest he entered the house and closed the door behind him. Then he lifted the hand he still held and kissed it.

"Sorry," he said, clearly not sorry at all for teasing me. We were both silent for a minute just looking at each other but then he released my hand and my eyes.

"Well, I suppose we'd better go." I covered the moment with another bright smile and headed to the kitchen to grab my purse and the picnic basket I'd packed. Bill followed me.

As I pulled on the winter hat that Gran had knitted for me, I turned to see Bill frowning as he looked through the window in the kitchen door. I realised he could see the laundry I'd hung on the back porch, including the jeans that Jason had briefly worn – the extra long jeans that clearly were a fit for someone very tall. There was tension hanging in the air but I had no intention of bringing up the subject of Eric's jeans.

When I moved towards him, Bill turned to look at me. He was very still and his frown turned to another expression, one I couldn't properly identify, as he eyed the hat on my head.

"What? It's cold out there and we're going to be sitting still," I said smoothing the hat self-consciously. He didn't speak but stepped towards me, closing the last of the gap between us. Reaching out with both hands, his pupils dilating, he ran his fingers over the hat on my head, then trailed them through my hair that cascaded from beneath it and down over my shoulders. His eyes tracked the route of his hands then lifted back to mine. My lips were slightly parted and I found I had very little breath. There was a question in his face but I wasn't sure I knew the answer.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips over mine. I stayed very still. Did I want to do this? When I didn't pull away he pressed his mouth to mine more certainly. I felt a jolt of excitement in my belly and found myself responding to the cool taste of him. His tongue slipped past my lips into my mouth. I guess I did want to do this. Or my body did anyway. My mind was still on the fence. As the kiss deepened, a groan escaped him and he pulled me tight against his body. Eventually my mind exerted enough caution for me to pull gently away.

"Sorry," Bill rasped, his voice thick with emotion and lust. I shook my head to deflect his apology, I'd been kissing him too. There was an awkward pause.

"So, woolly hats as well as petticoats huh?" I asked with a forced giggle to lighten the mood. "I don't think I've come across that one before, and I've heard most of them," I said tapping my head. Bill had pulled himself together and he released me from his arms, ducking his head with slight embarrassment.

"Shall we?" He held out a hand to me, clearly not wanting to address his hat fetish. I nodded and turned to pick up my purse and the blankets. Turning back, I took his hand and let him lead me from the house.

Despite the sexual tension, things weren't uncomfortable between us in the car during the drive to Shreveport and I saw that as a positive sign. It was natural really, we'd always had chemistry. It's not like there was anyone else on the scene right now and I hadn't had sex since … no, don't even think about it Sookie, especially not while you're out with Bill.

[***]

Maybe it was because I'd only been intimate with vampires that I associated coolness with romance. Sitting on some old stadium cushions in the park, the stars twinkling above us, other couples scattered nearby, the band playing, it was, more than anything, the soft cool breeze that ruffled through the trees and my hair that gave the evening a feeling of intimacy in my mind. It reminded me of a lovers breath fanning my body.

The music was pretty, though I missed songs and lyrics. I can't sing to save my life but I love listening to people who can. When I got chilly, Bill wrapped a blanket around me, and his arms. I leaned against his chest, closed my eyes, and listened to the orchestra. Maybe music without words was just fine. In fact, as I tried to pick out the different sounds, I realised how complicated it was, with different instruments weaving in and out of each other making patterns and shapes.

I found myself breathing with the music, holding the air at each peak, releasing it only when the music permitted. I was vaguely aware that Bill was brushing my hair from my neck, that his cool lips were making a gentle trail down my throat. His fangs scraped across my skin and I felt a flash of fear as I suddenly recalled the last time Bill had fed from me. Images of a dark trunk, that feeling of panic, his mouth at my throat, him thrusting into me uninvited …

He lifted his head sharply. I gasped for breath and snapped out of my flashback, realising he'd felt what I was feeling. I sat up properly and turned to look at him. I was about to apologise for my reaction but he was busy taking his phone from his pocket. He flipped it open and held it to his ear.

"… Right now?" He asked after a brief pause. Then he hung up. Whoever had called him was clearly not chatty. "I'm sorry Sookie we have to leave." He shoved the phone a little too hard into his suit pocket causing the seam to open slightly.

"Oh, OK. What's wrong?" I tried to gather my wits, not sure how I felt about what had just happened. I was confused, had he felt my fear or not? It didn't seem to affect him if he had.

"Nothing that I know of. Eric has summoned me to Fangtasia." I just nodded and started to gather up our stuff. I didn't want to think about the part of me that was relieved Eric had called when he did, or the part of me that was sorry. My feelings for Bill were too conflicted, I'd be glad to get home.

I packed everything up without looking at him. He didn't say anything either. Quickly we were ready to leave. I finally spoke as we headed towards his car.

"Thanks for bringing me Bill. I really liked the concert."

"I'm sorry we had to leave before the end," his tone was formal and distant. I felt like I'd done something wrong. Did he think I was mad we had to leave? I understood he had to follow orders, I'd experienced that first hand plenty – The second time I'd met Eric was because Eric had ordered Bill to take me to Fangtasia so I could interrogate the staff. Bill had made it clear what would happen if we tried to say no.

"It's OK," I said forcing as much understanding into my voice as possible. I suddenly realised that we'd both come in Bill's car. Eric wasn't the sort of vampire that would wait patiently while Bill drove me back to Bon Temps then returned to Shreveport. "Should I get the bus?" I asked uncertainly.

"No, I'll get you home." Bill's voice had gone decidedly frosty so I didn't argue.

Neither of us mentioned Eric again but he seemed to be hovering between us and Bill didn't hold my hand as we walked like he had before, leaving me to stumble slightly on the uneven grass.

[***]

After a brief silent drive, we pulled into the Fangtasia parking lot. The beams from the headlights swept across the line of fang-bangers awaiting admittance as Bill turned into a space, coming to rest on Eric and Pam who were standing outside. They both looked at the car and I saw Eric's face harden. In the driver's seat, Bill stiffened in response.

Pam looked directly at me, a smirk on her face, and gave a little wave. She was in typical Fangtasia garb but not the flowing dress which meant she'd been sitting in the bar but not officially working. She wore black leather pants, steel heeled boots that I thought might be illegal as dangerous weapons in more than one place, and corset-style top that made it clear she did not need to breathe.

Eric was in his usual jeans and t-shirt, but he'd conformed to the universal Fangtasia dress-code by being entirely in black. With the dark material covering his large firm physique, cutting defined lines against his soft vampiric glow and blonde hair, it was no less striking than Pam's outfit.

"I'll leave the keys in the car, climb over the seat and drive yourself home," said Bill tightly, not taking his eyes off Eric. "Do not get out of the car. I'll pick it up from your place later," he added. I thought the stare down going on was a bit much and made a little noise of annoyance. Bill finally dragged his gaze from Eric to lean over and kiss my cheek quickly. Then he climbed out of the car before I could say anything.

"Why is Sookie with you?" Demanded Eric the moment Bill opened the door. His eyes hadn't left the younger vampire even to blink.

"She was with me when you called," Bill managed to keep his tone casual but there was a frosty undercurrent.

"What were you doing?" Eric was clearly not happy that I was with Bill. Maybe Bill was supposed to be working on some vamp business tonight. It's not like Eric had shown any interest in me recently and he hadn't even glanced in my direction since we pulled up, keeping his eyes firmly on Bill the whole time.

"We were at a concert. What do you want Eric?" Bill's tone was bordering on insubordination but Eric didn't react.

He was completely still for a moment, almost frozen, then seemed to reanimate.

"I need some information from your database." He indicated Bill should enter the bar. As Bill walked towards the building Eric's eyes slipped passed him to finally look at me. There was no warmth in his gaze. I pulled up a half smile from somewhere and started to climb over the handbrake into the driver's seat.

At first I'd planned to ignore Bill's warning, get out and walk round, but the blue in Eric's eyes at that moment made me reconsider. I'd once seen a TV show about crevasses that would suddenly appear in ice sheets at the North Pole. The depths were like the blue in Eric's eyes tonight. Vivid and deadly. If you fell into that blue you would never come out again. I shuddered. It was chilly out tonight, better to stay inside the car.

My passenger-to-driver's-seat manoeuvre was less smooth than I'd planned. I had to hitch my skirt right up to manage it. Then my foot got wedged and it took both my hands to free it. Pam and Bill were already out of sight but Eric hadn't moved. His face remained cold as he watched until I was settled behind the steering wheel. Then he turned his back in a deliberate manner and also disappeared inside. I refused to feel hurt as I turned the key to start the engine.

[~~~]

Bill didn't stop by when he came to get his car later that night, or if he did I didn't hear him. When I woke in the morning it was gone. He came into Merlotte's the next night though, as he did almost every night I worked, and kissed my cheek on his way to a table in my section, again as he always did. On the way he acknowledged the couple of calls of 'hey Vampire Bill' and 'alright VB' with a raised hand and a nod.

"Blood?" I asked having followed him to his seat.

"Please." He seemed a bit distant, as if he had something on his mind. It was unnecessary to ask what he wanted of course, it's not like he could drink anything else, but I always felt it was rude if I didn't ask anyway. I didn't go as far as to ask what type, he always had O, my type.

"Everything OK?" I dropped my voice low and tried to keep my question obscure. I didn't know what vampire business Eric had needed him for, but whatever it was, it was always best not to discuss vampire matters in public.

"Fine." The coolness in his voice and the flash in his eye said otherwise but I wasn't going to push.

"Good." I made my smile extra warm to counter-act his chill then went off to get his order.

Merlotte's was busy as usual on a Saturday night. The Louisiana-at-Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns had whipped New Mexico State, so half the town saw that as a good excuse to come out for Burgers Lafayette and beer. The post-basketball crowd was happy, excitable and loud. I was especially glad of it tonight. Not only did it mean I should do well in tips but I really didn't know what I wanted to say to Bill about our – and there was no way around admitting what it was – _date_ last night. Luckily I was too busy to have to chat with him. That unfortunately didn't stop my brain from chewing the whole thing over all night, making maintaining my shields even harder than normal.

I sidestepped round Hoyt, who after too many beers was showing another one of the road-crew how he would woo Gwyneth Paltrow if he ever met her – the part of Gwyneth being played by a pool cue with a hat on. _ There was definitely still some attraction between Bill and me. And he had been very gentle and patient over the last few weeks which was really considerate of him, just what I needed._ I dropped off the fries with spicy ketchup to some teens. (Another Lafayette speciality that we'd continued to serve in his memory, it was only regular ketchup that had had one of those Avery Island Tabasco peppers suspended in the bottle for a good while. It was a popular challenge for the younger customers to manage a full helping by themselves.) I grabbed the pitcher from their table to refill with coke (they'd be needing it soon). _But the moment of terror I'd felt when his fangs had scraped my neck had taken me by surprise. _ I gave a token whoop along with everyone else as Hoyt lost balance and 'Gwyneth' sent Catfish's beer to the floor. _I'd known, even at the time, that he wasn't going to bite me, but the fear had popped out of some place buried deep within me anyway._ I delivered two vodka and tonics for Portia Bellefleur and the man she was with. I knew she wanted people to think he was her date, but I also knew he was just a guy she worked with. _I still wasn't sure if Bill had felt my fear. Had he stopped and _then_ his phone rang before he could say anything or had he _only_ stopped because his phone rang?_ With a long practised swivel of my hips, I avoided Portia's work colleague's casually stretched out hand on my way back to the bar and heard he would happily be her date if she wasn't so hung up on the fact that he had a wife already. Stupid shaky shields. _I realised I'd never really faced up to what had happened in Jackson. What with the bikers and Weres attacking us on the way home, _Dago Guglielmi had stopped by Bill's table to say hi, they were discussing how Dago had gotten himself a date with Brittney Rogers who had been Miss Louisiana in 2003. _ Bill going off travelling right after, then everything with Eric, then Bill came back, and then he knew about Eric, and now Eric knew about Eric …_ the emotional slalom became too much for me for a moment, my shields failed completely. Thoughts, emotions and images crashed in on me. I felt my legs wobble.

"Sookie?" I came back to Merlotte's with a snap. Sam was standing before me, one hand holding my elbow to steady me, the other relieving the same arm of the pitcher of coke it was carrying. "You need a break chère?" Glancing at the clock I realised I should have taken my break an hour ago.

"Thanks Sam, yeah, I guess I missed it. We've been so busy tonight." No wonder my shields had failed. I was too embarrassed to look around, I didn't need to see the looks in order to know that the few people who'd noticed my wobble had simply put it down to 'crazy-Sookie' being just that, I'd have gotten more concern from Pam.

"You want to go to my office?" Sam was looking at me carefully. I could tell – even if I hadn't been able to pick up more from him than usual with the physical contact – that he had a good idea what had happened.

"Please." I lowered my eyes apologetically. Sam, at least, was understanding. He should be able to expect his employees not to have a breakdown in the middle of their shift though. I should stay more focused at work. He rubbed my arm soothingly.

"Come on." He turned and placed the pitcher I'd been about to deliver on the right table while I headed out back and tried to rebuild my shields.

Sam entered his office behind me a moment later and shut the door, dimming the bar noise to a muted mumble. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry Sam, I shouldn't have let it happen. I got distracted that's all. It takes focus to keep my shields up and …" I took a slow deep breath still trying to get myself together.

"What distracted you?" Sam asked ignoring my apology, he never let me apologise for my disability, bless him. He was poised to be angry, he knew the sorts of things I sometimes heard. I shook my head to calm him.

"Just got some stuff on my mind, Jason and all." Standing in Sam's office with him, still thinking about my issues with Bill, I remembered the night after the fire, kissing Sam, Bill walking in … What a mess. I avoided my boss's eye.

"Did something happen with Bill?" Sam asked as if _he_ had read _my_ mind.

"No. Yes. Well, kinda." I shrugged. He was watching me expectantly so I sunk into his spare chair and gave him the run down on our 'date'. "I don't know Sam, sometimes with Bill it seems so easy, you know? And I think, maybe that's because it's right. But then, so much has happened between us, and he really hurt me. I can't help thinking, is it easy just because it's familiar? Because I'm scared of moving on?" I shook my head. "Sorry, Sam I shouldn't be bringing this to work or going on at you about it. I'm sure you're sick of all my drama."

"Sook, I'm your friend. You know I'm always here for you if you need me." He was perched on his desk facing me and clearly happy to talk more. He looked a little uncomfortable and paused to pull at a loose thread on his shirt cuff before he asked the question that was on his mind. "Does Bill know about … when he was in Peru?" I blushed and looked down.

Why was it that my sex life had become such an open topic of discussion? From what I knew, which let's face it thanks to my quirk was a lot, it was really pretty limited by most people's standards. I'd only had sex with two men. OK they were both vampires and I'd managed to have a lot of sex with them, especially considering how little time Eric and I were together, but still. I sighed and nodded, yes Bill knew about Eric. I knew he wasn't happy about it but he'd had sex with at least two other people since me, and I was sure there were more, in Peru and the other places he'd been.

"Do you love him?" I wasn't sure if Sam was asking about Bill or Eric, but I didn't have an answer in either case. I shrugged. "Maybe you should talk to Bill. Tell him where you're at, even if it is that you don't know how you feel. See what he's thinking," he said.

I knew that was what I should do, I just kept putting it off. I nodded reluctantly. Sam laughed. "I know," he said. "Easier said than done."

"I'd better get back to work," I said after a pause. "My boss is such a taskmaster, he'll be real ticked if I take too long on my break." I rolled my eyes and sighed in a put-upon way, then winked at Sam.

"Better believe it, get on out there and hustle some drinks," he ordered mock-sternly. I saluted him. At the door I turned back with a gratefully warm smile.

"Thanks Sam."

"Any time chère."

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A/N: So we did get a little bit of Viking too, but since I know that is not enough for you all I promise he will be back soon *waves flag of truce* :) As always all comments, thoughts, and suggestions welcome. xx


	3. Three Men and a Telepath

**Dating in the Dark**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

Thanks as always to my wonderful beta treewitch703 :) a truly wonderful woman who does her best to keep me sane when I'm having a crazy.

It looks like I was right to hide. Several reviewers have been concerned about Sookie spending time with her rapist Bill. Things are rarely so straightforward, often there is more to a story than meets the eye. Sookie isn't dumb, as some of you have picked up, she is torn about Bill, there is something more going on. Can you guess? This is only the very beginning of a long story so for now I'll stay hidden.

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**Chapter 3: Three Men and a Telepath.**

**Dating Don't: Don't gather potential dates all in one place – chances are they'll become far more interested in each other than in you – and not in the way good dreams are made of. **

Bill was watching me curiously when I came back out from Sam's office. Although he was leaning back, he gave the impression of being perched on the edge of his seat rather than maintaining his usual relaxed air. Slipping behind the bar, I heated a blood for him and took it over.

"Are you all right?" He asked, looking me over carefully as I got close.

"Fine, I just forgot to take my break," I said brightly, then added more quietly, "If I get too tired it can be tough." He nodded sympathetically.

"Do you want to start practising again?" He offered. "You were developing better control when we worked on it regularly." He was right. I hadn't been doing any of the mental exercises we had come up with.

"That might be a good idea," I smiled at him. Just the thought of shoring up my control made me feel better. "Thanks Bill. You don't mind doing it?" I checked. He certainly looked happy enough.

"Of course not, I would be pleased to help you. We could start tomorrow night? It is your night off I believe."

"That would be great. Well I'd better get busy." If Bill were helping me with my telepathy, maybe I'd find a way to talk to him about 'us'. I couldn't believe I'd let myself get lax about it. I guess it's like when you know going to the gym will make you feel better but you drive right past it on the way home anyway. Not that I'd ever been to a gym but I'd heard people beating themselves up about it often enough.

Later, as I was passing his table to clear some empty glasses, Bill seized my hand. I looked at him and smiled.

"Another blood? Are you sure? You wouldn't want to get a blood-belly," I teased. Bill looked confused for a moment.

"Sookie, I will always be as I am now, how much blood I drink will not change that." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I know that Bill, I was just joking." He still had hold of my hand and clearly didn't plan on letting go. "So what can I get for you? I can't hang out, I've other tables to get to." The night hadn't quieted down any.

"Sorry, of course, I know you are busy." He still didn't let go though. "I was just thinking, as we were interrupted last night, we could book something else. I wanted to check if you enjoyed the concert?"

I glanced round my tables, no one was waiting for anything but I really was too busy to slow down. Looking back at Bill, I could see this was really important to him. I softened and altered my stance from passing to staying.

"Yes the music was wonderful. I wasn't sure at first, with there being no songs or anything, but I really did like it."

"I very much enjoyed last night too." He pulled me a little closer to him and smiled up at me.

"Thank you Bill. I am glad my company is so agreeable to you," came a voice from so close behind me I could feel his breath down the back of my neck. A prickle of goosebumps ran down my spine as Bill looked past me to scowl at Eric. I frowned as I realised Eric's arrival was what had prompted Bill to grab hold of me and try to book another date. We were all so close together I felt like the filling in a vampire sandwich.

After a few seconds pause that seemed to last an age, I managed to removed my hand from Bill's grasp with a determined twist and sidestepped so I was no longer between them. I was flustered and it felt like even the humans in the room must be able to hear my loudly hammering heart, despite all the noise in the bar. "So ... er ... two True Bloods?" I grinned manically at them both. "What flavour blood would you like Eric?" I was talking a little too fast and a little too brightly but I couldn't seem to do anything about it. Eric stepped closer to me, making it necessary for me to tilt my head back to see his face. His eyes and lips hovered above mine.

"I'd very much like O positive," he said, allowing his gaze to brush over my throat when he spoke. I felt a tingling along my neckline that wasn't entirely unpleasant and found my feet rooted to the spot. My body swayed uncertainly, first slightly towards him then back again as I tried to pull myself away from his magnetism.

Then Eric was sliding into the seat across from Bill and the moment had passed.

"Coming right up." I made my way quickly to the bar where Sam was waiting for me with a wary expression as he took in the nervous grin tightening my cheeks.

"Trouble?" He asked quietly as I placed my tray on the bar. I shrugged and focused on relaxing my face muscles.

"Two O positives," I told him with a don't-you-start look. He winked at me and turned to warm the bottles. While they heated, he placed a glass of water in front of Jane Bodehouse in the vain hope she'd drink some of it.

Eric and Bill seemed to be having another staring competition when I delivered their drinks with a fractionally less-manic smile. I moved on as quickly as possible, glad it was so busy tonight. Chicken that I am, I kept an eye on their drinks from a distance and avoided their table. I didn't plan on going back over there until I absolutely had to. I got caught up with some college boys who wanted to know what time I got off work and what I planned to do when my shift finished. After a bit of banter, I managed to shake them off and when I turned back to the room Bill was alone at his table. He was staring at the half full bottle in front of him and definitely looked unhappy.

I bussed one of my other tables, pocketing my tip, and then headed over to him. I tried to judge his mood as I approached. Was he just irritated or really annoyed? I couldn't tell. I was curious about his conversation with Eric but not sure if I should ask, especially in the bar. I knew Bill saw Bon Temps as his territory even if it was in Eric's Area.

"Can I get you anything else Bill?" I asked gently.

"No thank you Sookie." He smiled back but he was definitely not relaxed. On second thought I decided I didn't dare ask what Eric had come to talk to him about. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Despite my reputation, I really do _try_ to stay out of vampire business. Before I could think of anything soothing to say, a yell from the next table dragged me away and I had to head to the bar for a round of boilermakers.

It turned out Eric hadn't left. He'd simply moved to sit at the bar, right by the space we used to collect the drink orders. He'd stretched his long legs out so I had to lean over them to give Sam the order but he didn't look at me or speak to me, so I didn't acknowledge him either.

I was glad there wasn't much of my shift left to finish. Though he continued to ignore me and spent nearly the whole time tapping vampire speed into his phone, every time I went to the bar after that it seemed I couldn't do so without brushing against him. I knew him too well to kid myself that it was accidental. I just didn't know what he was up to. I figured that he wanted to irritate Bill, which he was doing, but you'd think he'd have something better to do.

Bill stayed at his table, spoke quietly to the few regulars that approached him to say goodnight on their way out and fingered his bottle of blood. From the looks he was giving it you'd think it was whispering insults at him.

Though Eric was attracting a lot of attention, especially from the women in the room, no one approached him. Even from a distance he managed to make one woman miss her chair as she went to sit though. She ended up sprawled on the floor to the dismay of her date – Eric had only smiled at her but it was one of his 100kilowatt smiles. I may have kicked him slightly, by accident, the next time I went to collect an order and had to lean over his legs. Unlike with me, he never seemed to be in the way when the other waitresses went to collect orders from Sam.

Thankfully Jane was too sloshed to clearly see the other end of the bar. I'm not sure she'd have been as cautious as the other patrons about approaching the large Viking. I amused myself by imagining Eric's face if Jane had hit on him but was glad she was in no state to do so. Her approach was less than subtle and I doubted it would end well for her. I'd seen quite a few considerably more appealing people than Jane get the brush off in Fangtasia. Vampires don't brush gentle.

Other than that, I did my best to ignore both vampires as I worked. I convinced Hoyt I was not the best person for him to practice his pick-up lines on, saying he was too much like a brother to me rather than giving the honest opinion that, 'You're more beautiful than any of my mom's doll's', was just too scary to be flattering. I gave Portia a 'well who's he?' look as I handed her the check, even though I knew the truth, which got me an enigmatic smile and a big tip. I convinced Dago that his best bud had only said all beauty queens were empty-headed narcissists because he was jealous, and that maybe he should make up with him and not brag on his conquests. They left together, arms over each other's shoulders and singing, a while later.

Catfish also gave me a big tip, though this was because he'd heard what happened to Jason. Knowing that the blood test was negative for alcohol, he was worried my brother had taken V which was known to make people do stupid things. Though he wasn't going to say that, especially with Vampire Bill and some other big vamp in the bar, he still felt sorry for me. Jason was a good worker but Catfish knew I'd had to talk down more than one angry ex on his behalf and he was worried my brother was going to cause even more problems for me if he was getting into drugs. He hoped it was a one time thing and that Jason had learned his lesson.

With all this going on, sometimes I was able to forget our undead-American customers for several seconds at a time during which my stomach stopped tightening uncomfortably.

Both vampires were still determinedly camped out at the end of the evening, even after all the other patrons were gone. (Except Jane Bodehouse who was asleep at the opposite end of the bar to where Eric remained perched, the full glass of water still by her hand.)

"You want me to call Jane's son?" I asked Sam as I delivered some glasses to the bar.

"Already done." He smiled at me. Neither of us had said anything to Bill or Eric about leaving and the other waitresses were avoiding them completely. I could tell from the look Sam gave me he was expecting me to speak to them. I made it clear I wasn't happy about this by narrowing my eyes at him briefly but turned to address them both.

"OK guys, time to go, we're closed," I said more confidently than I felt. I couldn't see any way we were going to get them to move if they didn't want to. Bill stood to comply but remained standing by the table looking at Eric, clearly waiting until he was leaving too.

Eric got to his feet with deliberate grace and looked at me.

"Actually I came to speak to you Sookie. When I arrived I could see that you were very busy so rather than distract you from your work," he said pointedly, "I determined to wait until the end of the evening when you had some free time." He flashed a winning smile that hid all signs of the shrewdness I knew was behind it.

"You were waiting for me?" I said, my firm stance loosening in surprise. "Didn't you come to speak to Bill?" Eric hadn't even looked at me since he'd ordered his first blood.

"If I had wanted to speak to Bill, _he_ would have come to _me_." Of course. In fact normally he'd have summoned me too. I wondered what it could be about that would make him come all the way to Merlotte's and wait around until I was free.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise. What did you want to talk about?" I asked with some caution but also a good spoonful of curiosity.

With Eric you could never tell what he was up to, but if he had a telepathy job for me the money sure would come in handy, though I was tempted to start asking for danger pay on top of any other fee. Was that what he'd been speaking to Bill about first? He'd arranged my services over the thing with Longshadow through Bill, and the trip to Dallas, but things were different now. Bill and I weren't together any more, and Eric and I … well I wasn't sure where we stood exactly but we definitely had a relationship of our own rather than only knowing each other through Bill. In fact, I realised I'd be ticked off if Eric _had_ asked Bill about acquiring my services at this point.

Eric was watching my face carefully as these thoughts flitted through my head, he looked fascinated. He'd said before that he wished he could read my mind and he could already sense my emotions. I shut my face down and simply looked at him politely. He chuckled.

"It is something I wish to discuss more privately. Perhaps back at your house?" He shifted forward slightly and there was a leer in his face which surprised me. I mean it was exactly what I was used to from Eric, but after his complete absence from my life recently I'd convinced myself he'd lost all interest in me. Suddenly I wasn't so sure.

Bill growled behind me and I didn't need to look at him to know his fangs had run out. The other waitresses yelled their goodbyes as they quickly headed back to get their coats. They were out the door so fast you'd think someone was giving away free chocolate in the parking lot. Sam carried on quietly cleaning behind the bar in an unobtrusive manner, seemingly ignoring the fang-off.

Eric dropped his fangs too but very slowly, and gave Bill a cold look. After a moment Bill put his away, clearly out-fanged. I looked back and forth between the two of them and something clicked into place.

"Oh for God's sake. The two of you are like children, squabbling over a toy neither of you really wants but that you just don't want the other to have." I grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the bar so I'd have something to focus on. Both vampires were watching me and Sam was trying to keep a straight face.

After a long moment of being stared at, I flicked my eyes in Eric's direction then carried on wiping. "What is this about Eric? I'm too tired for your games tonight."

"There is a conversation we never finished," he said. All the playfulness was gone from his voice and posture. I stopped wiping and looked at him properly.

"What conversation? The last time I spoke to you was after the thing with Charles. I didn't think we left anything unsaid." I was genuinely confused.

"Actually there was quite a lot unsaid on that occasion," he said meaningfully, making me nervous. "But that is not the conversation I was referring to. I was talking about the one that was interrupted by Mickey."

I didn't exclaim '_oh for fuck's sake_' but I sure felt like it. How many times were we going to have to go over this? Did he want to rub it in my face that he now had power over me? Or did he just want to threaten to kill me again?

"We finished that conversation," I said stiffly. "I told you what you wanted to know and that's an end to it. I've nothing more to say on the subject." I turned away, unwilling to meet anyone's eye. Fear unfocused my vision as I wiped the same area of the bar for the third time. What if he told everyone I was a murderer?

"Eric, why don't you just leave her alone?" Interrupted Bill moving closer to us. "Don't you think you've done her enough harm already?"

"I don't recall doing her any harm at all." Eric's tone was politely conversational as he turned to face Bill, looking down at the younger vampire, using his superior height to full advantage. Bill stood his ground. At first anyway. Eric wasn't done. His tone became less friendly as he continued.

"Unlike you Bill Compton. I clearly recall _you_ doing her a great deal of harm."

Both Bill and I winced. Eric's eyes darkened with emotion, but I wasn't sure what that emotion was.

Mostly what happened in Jackson, stayed tucked out of sight so I didn't think about it at all. It was firmly shut away behind a locked door. Very occasionally something would slip through the gap in that door, like last night when I'd felt that bright flash of fear. Of course it didn't help when someone rattled the door's handle, like Eric was doing.

I felt Bill start to move nearer to me causing my skin to prickle uncomfortably, but Eric wasn't finished. He took a step towards my neighbour halting his movement and eyed him with menace.

"And if what Sookie has told me is true, _I_ in fact did her the opposite of harm." The corners of his mouth twitched upwards slightly, not quite a smile but enough to show he was pleased with himself.

Bill snarled. "It is hardly appropriate to bring that up, at least I treat Sookie like a lady." He was trying to sound superior but it was clear he was worried about pushing Eric too far which lowered his higher ground somewhat.

"I was not referring to the extensive and, so I'm told, mind-blowing sex we had." Eric seemed only amused by Bill's attempt to get the upper hand. He shifted his gaze to me and I knew he was talking about taking a bullet for me, another one.

I hadn't told anyone else what had happened in my kitchen after the witch-war. Was he going to use it against me now? Bill's eyes flicked between Eric and me, baffled.

"Sookie, what is he talking about?" Following my example, Bill had fixed his gaze on Eric and, despite addressing me, his voice remained as cool as when he'd been speaking to the sheriff.

"There was an incident in which Sookie required protection and I provided it, that is all," answered Eric for me without breaking our eye-contact. His dismissive tone made it clear he wasn't going to say anything. I felt a rush of gratitude and relief. Eric smiled and Bill turned to scowl at me. Damn blood. I put my hands on my hips and glared at them both.

"You know, unlike you two," I took a step towards them and pointed a berating finger at each in turn. Both vampires actually retreated a step from my onslaught and I felt a rush of amusement from Sam behind me. "I had no option on getting my inside-line to people in the first place, and at least I try to give them as much privacy as I can, _and_ I do my best not to react even when I do hear things." Bill continued to looked unhappy, Eric the opposite.

Sam had been doing a good job of 'not being there' but I'd known he was listening. He had his back to us and was cleaning the counter behind the bar. Before Bill could ask more questions, as he was clearly planning to do, Sam commented casually, "Are you talking about Eric attacking that Were that insulted Sookie?" Bless him for coming to the rescue. Sam suspected what had happened to Debbie, though I'd never talked to him about it.

"When? What Were?" asked Bill. Sam's intervention had only made him angrier. Sam explained about the girl calling me a vamp fucker and Eric nearly taking her head off. Bill looked slightly stunned. Eric, who had retaken his seat at the bar, looked amused. I wondered if Pam had told him about it. Considering how persistent he was in trying to get details from me, I was sure he'd pumped her for every bit of information he could get, but then I was also sure she wouldn't volunteer the information. Eric didn't seem to like the idea that others had seen him when he was not himself.

"So then Sookie took him off home before anyone got killed," finished Sam. He gave a good impression of not being particularly interested in the whole thing but I was getting some powerful emotional vibes from him. Eric was looking at me again, obviously wondering what happened next. I started to feel a little warm as I remembered and Eric's eyes intensified in response.

Bill grabbed my arm and twisted me to face him, breaking the eye-lock between me and Eric. He was a little rough but I managed to prevent myself from crying out. As soon as I was facing him he loosened his grip and apologetically rubbed his fingers where he had grabbed. Before either of us could speak, Sam was around the bar and beside me. He broke Bill's grip and pulled me back. Keeping an arm round my waist, he addressed the vampire.

"Listen to me Bill Compton. I won't have anyone man-handling my staff no matter who it is or what the circumstances," he said with a growl in his throat. The air seem to shimmer slightly around him.

"You are right, Sam. Sookie I am very sorry," said Bill immediately contrite. "I should have been more careful." His rich brown eyes were sincere.

I didn't dare look at Eric again but it felt like he was also closer to us than he had been. In fact I was feeling incredibly claustrophobic, squashed between all the testosterone in the room.

"Well, despite how much fun this _isn't,_ I'm afraid I can't hang around. I'm working the lunch shift tomorrow, not all of us get to nap all day." I turned to Sam. "I'll come in early to do the ketchup and mustard bottles and the shakers."

"No need, I'll do it. You get yourself home."

"Thanks Sam." I kissed him on the cheek and, without looking at either vampire again, headed out the back to grab my coat and purse.

I glanced back through the door to the bar as I buttoned my cranberry jacket. They were all still standing where I'd left them. Even masked by their carefully controlled expressions I knew them well enough to see that Bill was looking sulky, Eric was looking thoughtful and Sam's carefully neutral expression probably meant he was feeling smug. I might have been flattered by all the posturing over me but it seemed it was more about their one-upmanship than anything else and I might as well have been any old chew toy.

Without saying goodbye I headed out the back door and into my car. I was thankful to find my porch empty of visitors when I got home, and to get to bed without a single knock on my door.

7


	4. We Need to Talk About Eric

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Thanks to the beautiful and amazing treewitch703 :) And thanks to everyone for the favs, alerts and especially the reviews, I love getting them :)**

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**Chapter 4: We Need to Talk About Eric**

**Dating Do: Do be clear about what you want. Just because a potential lover could drain your blood and leave you a lifeless shell does not mean you can't put your foot down.**

The morning air was dense and infused with the smell of thunder when Sam called the next day to see if I could come in early and help with the cleaning. Storms often triggered episodes for Terry so he'd called in to say he was heading out for a nature day – meaning he was going to bury himself deep in the woods, far from people. Every extra cent would help until I got the bail money back so I quickly agreed and threw a bag together.

I'd pulled on some sweats and an old senior class t-shirt to travel in so I was able to enjoy a minute of standing in the first fat drops of rain when I pulled up at Merlotte's. I was a sun-bunny as a rule but I still enjoyed a thunderstorm. I knew that once it passed, the air would be crisp and clean, and the smells of nature amplified, I loved that. It always felt like God had commanded a spring cleaning.

As the spattering rain got heavier, I headed in. Sam said nothing about the incident with Bill and Eric the night before. He welcomed me with a cup of coffee, asked if I slept OK and then passed me a mop.

Once we'd cleaned I headed over to Sam's trailer for a shower and to change into my uniform. Despite a cheeky comment about me being naked in his home, Sam stayed in the bar while I cleaned up and even had a BLT waiting for me when I got back. I scarfed it down and started to set up while Sam went for his shower.

My boss was on his best behaviour. Though I could tell by the look on his face that it was still on his mind, he never made a single comment about the vampires in my life throughout the whole Sunday lunch shift, earning him another kiss on the cheek before I left. Even when we shared a look right after I'd kissed him, one in which the tingle of sexual tension was soothed by a shared understanding, he just gave me a reassuring smile and remained blessedly silent.

I wasn't so lucky when Bill arrived at my house soon after the sun set about 6pm.

I'd made sure to eat early, actually enjoying the challenge of creating a meal from the random ingredients in the back of the pantry – so long as I didn't think too much about why it was necessary. The extra money from Sam that morning had gone into my gas fund – if I couldn't get to work I'd be really stuck and the price of fuel seemed to be increasing daily. I had eaten first, not for Bill's benefit but for mine, it's hard to enjoy your food when someone is looking at you like you're chewing on entrails – come to think of it he'd probably approve of entrails, ew!

Gran ensured I gave the house a good clean too. Not that it was dirty, but the habit of making an extra effort whenever anyone was invited over was so ingrained I almost felt as if every chore was done with her looking over my shoulder making sure it was done right. I liked that, the feeling that she was still with me so closely.

When he arrived, even Bill's knock was angry. Knowing it would be, I was prepared.

I flung the door open, planted myself to block his entrance, levelled him with my gaze and said, "Don't start on me Bill," all as one swift movement. His mouth had already been open but he closed it and looked stunned. Gran had always said she didn't understand why people worried so much about the last word when a good first one will stop the argument from happening in the first place.

Bill took a deep calming breath and then spoke quietly.

"I'm not angry with _you_ Sookie," I raised my eyebrows disbelievingly. He noted the expression but was unable to prevent himself diving into what he really wanted to say. Clearly he'd been planning this conversation in advance. "I think you need to tell me what happened with you and Eric. He's very dangerous and you cannot trust him. He's proved that many times. He's lied to you before." I kept silent, my face giving nothing away. He was always talking like this when it came to Eric, so much so that it just drifted over me now. I knew that Eric could be devious and wily, I wasn't a complete idiot, but those were hardly traits unique to the Viking. Bill had been less than honest with me a few times himself.

Bill pressed on trying to persuade me with his eyes as well as his words. "His only agenda is helping himself and exploiting others to his own advantage. If he has something on you he won't be shy about using it. It wouldn't be the first time he's manipulated you. You must tell me everything. You need to let me help." I did believe he wanted to help me (not that he could do anything about the fact I'd murdered someone, Eric had disposed of the body and now neither of us knew where it was), but I didn't believe for a second that was why he wanted to know. His long list of 'Evil-Eric' justifications overshadowed any aspect of concern. Besides, the fact that he was more _telling_ me than _asking_ me pissed me off.

"I don't _need_ to do anything. And you already know what happened between me and Eric," I snapped. I was determined to close the subject once and for all. If he pushed I was prepared to threaten him with details (they were fresh thanks to the very explicit dream I'd had last night), that would be sure to shut him up. "And he wasn't using it against _me_, he was using it against _you_. In fact I really don't think my presence was required at all for that little scene last night. Perhaps I can provide you all with a photo for next time since I'd rather just skip the whole thing." I put my hands on my hips and remained standing in the doorway. He wasn't coming in if he was just going to bitch and moan about Eric all night. Being scrutinised by those piercing blue eyes again after three weeks of nothing had been unsettling enough, I really didn't want to have to pick the whole thing over with Bill.

Bill understood my point immediately. First he wiped his demanding expression blank then replaced it with a relaxed happy one. His whole body softened and he even put his hands in his pockets, something Bill almost never did.

"I thought we could start by running through the exercises we used to do as warm up," he suggested amiably. "If you haven't been practising I don't want to wear you out on the first night. We can see how it goes and take it from there." He spoke as if the conversation about Eric hadn't happened at all. I waited a moment to adjust to this alternative interaction, then smiled at him and stepped aside so he could enter the house.

"OK, I'll just warm you some blood and we can get started," I said going along with this erasure of the first few minutes of conversation.

I know you might not believe it, I marvelled at it myself, reflecting back later when I was curled up in bed with my book, but just like that it really was like the whole Eric thing hadn't happened. I didn't feel awkward or anything and if Bill did he hid it completely. He asked me about my day at work and I told him about Terry being off and going in early. We discussed the storm, which had been a heavy one but had cleared completely before nightfall. Bill told me how much more sensitive vampires were to the atmospheric changes that even humans could feel before and after a storm. It was just like all the other pleasant evenings I'd spent with him recently. The only concession I gave was that I decided it was not the night to bring up my concerns about our relationship.

We had started my telepathy training like this before, just the two of us. I would practice putting my shields up and down, first slowly then more quickly. When I'd first taught myself to shield, it had been an all or nothing deal and that part I was fairly confident in. We worked a lot on having them at half-mast, so I could listen to specific people without allowing the full hubbub of a room full of thoughts invade my mind. It was easier to get used to the process in the blessed silence of my house with only Bill there. I was familiar enough with the mental effort to do it without any minds to block.

Next we would do the same but with me being active doing other things, such as dancing with Bill round my living room … Seeing Bill doing the funky chicken isn't a sight I'll soon forget but it did remind me how easily I let my shields fall away when distracted. As before I would know when I was getting better at it. When my shield muscles started to strengthen from the repetition we would plan trips out, to small crowds at first, then bigger ones.

After an hour of setting up and picking apart my inner defences I started to get a headache and Bill suggested we leave it for the night. It wouldn't help to over do it and leave me vulnerable the next day. We collapsed on the couch and Bill straightened his clothes reminding me of his dancing. I started to laugh again.

"I wish I had a video camera. Maybe I should borrow one for next time," I giggled, tucking my feet under me and resting one elbow on the back of the couch so I could prop my head on my hand.

"If you do I'll sneak in here and record you singing in the shower," Bill said in a serious tone that didn't hide the spark of laughter in his eyes. He'd twisted to face me also, pulling up one pant leg to cross his legs. I smacked his arm making my hand sting.

"Don't you dare." I knew he was kidding but I was horrified since he must have heard me singing in the shower. I didn't think I'd ever done it when he'd been in the house or I'd been at his place; if you'd ever heard me sing you'd know why, but I must have slipped up some time.

Once I'd settled down I dropped my head down onto the back of the couch and pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes tight shut. I'm not sure headache is the right word for how it can feel when I tire myself out mentally, it's more like my thought muscles are spasming.

"I should have stopped sooner, I let you get too tired." Bill sounded worried and contrite. Without opening my eyes I reached out with my spare hand and patted him, I think on the top of his thigh though I'd been aiming for his knee.

"I'm fine. It's not just the training. I've been worried about Jason so I've not been sleeping well." There was a short silence, not uncomfortable, as Bill allowed me to try forcing my mind to relax (which of course never worked), then I continued. "I tried to call Calvin this morning but I just got his message machine again. I know he has a lot of other responsibilities, but Jason's all I've got, I need to know he'll be OK." I explained in a tired voice.

"Jason is not all you have Sookie," said Bill softly after another pause. He rested his hand on my shoulder. The ease of the night shimmered with a hint of tension as he moved in closer to me. I kept my eyes closed. "You have friends, many of us, who care about you and will always be here for you. What's the saying? Friends are the family you choose."

I blinked my eyes open and sat up to look at him. His face was blank and he'd moved back again as if he was a little surprised at himself.

"Bill Compton, that is the cheesiest …" I cracked up as Bill looked embarrassed. "You should be ashamed of yourself, you're supposed to be a vampire, not some hallmark thank you card!" I giggled harder as he actually looked a bit offended, but then a smile twitched his lips before he let go and laughed too. We seemed to laugh for a long time and in the end Bill had to go and get me a drink. He heated another blood for himself as well.

"Is there anything I can do? To help with Jason?" Bill asked when he returned from the kitchen.

"No, I don't think so. We'll just have to see what the judge says. Maybe they'll let him off with a fine, or a restraining order or something. It's not good that he'll have a record but better than being in jail and it's not like he'll make that mistake again." I hadn't told Bill all the details of Jason's case but he knew he'd been found in a woman's yard in the early hours after shifting. "I wonder sometimes if it would be easier if the shifters came out, like you vampires, but then I'm not sure they'd look any more favourably on Jason if they knew he was part panther." I was thinking aloud more than conversing but Bill followed the thought easily enough.

"No, probably not. Accepting that supernaturals exist and accepting supernaturals are not the same things. I'm not sure many other people can do it as easily as you do. You are quite amazing in that respect." Bill's gaze made me want to blush and I avoided his eye by tucking my feet more firmly under me.

"Well I guess I've always known that what people are underneath and what they seem on the surface is rarely the same thing," I explained. As I saw it, my 'acceptance' was more a by-product of my disability than any special virtue, though Gran had always raised me to be tolerant and sympathetic to all. "It's easier for me to deal with the idea that someone grows fur and a tail a few nights a month than that someone beats his wife or cheats their neighbour out of their life-savings." I shrugged. I'd accepted long ago there was nothing I could do about these things. "Besides I can empathise with people that have to hide who they are. It can be lonely."

"Especially if you are the only one of your kind." Bill brushed his hand over my hair sympathetically.

"Yeah, I suppose it's good that Jason has Calvin and the rest of the pack. I'd love to be the one to help him but at least he's not alone in it." Bill pulled me into his arms. I stretched my feet along the couch and snuggled my head into his silent chest.

We were still for a while. Of course we both knew I wasn't the only telepath. If Barry was out there there were probably more too. But before I'd met Barry I'd often thought that maybe I was the only one and however many of us there were, there weren't any others around here. Despite our topic of conversation I didn't feel forlorn cuddled on my couch, I felt comfortable and comforted. The silence was truly golden. I relaxed completely and listened only to the sounds of the night that brushed against the windows with not even a heartbeat to disturb them. My headache still hadn't shifted so after a while Bill insisted I enjoy a bath and he would 'take his leave'. I'd giggled again at his old fashioned phrases but a bath did sound good so I conceded.

[~~~]

Two days later I was again working the lunch shift when Sam called me into his office.

"You should sit down," he said. He was avoiding my eye and moved some papers from one pile to another. Sam's office was usually quite cool at this time of year, as shifters run a little warm he liked it that way, but he'd put on the little space-heater in the corner which told me he was expecting this conversation to take a while.

"Why?" I knew from his tone of voice that whatever was going on was something I wouldn't like. I stayed standing and folded my arms defensively. Still avoiding my eye he lifted the same papers again, waving them over the desk looking for somewhere to put them and eventually set them back where they had been originally. I stood silently just watching him. When he could think of nothing else to move on his desk he finally looked at me. I looked back steadily.

"Don't look at me like that Sookie," he sighed.

"Just spit it out Sam." He watched me for a moment longer then nodded.

"I had a call from Eric Northman last night." This was not likely to be good. It was the verbal equivalent of pulling off a band-aid. I suspected there was going to be an ugly 'owie' underneath.

"What did he want?" I was already tense, expecting a blow of some kind. I hadn't seen or heard from the Viking in weeks, hadn't even heard from Pam, though I'd constantly felt like one or the other would appear any minute. Now Eric seemed to be popping up everywhere.

"His payment in kind." My boss was finally looking at me, a little too steadily to be comfortable, as he said this.

"Huh?" Whatever I had expected Sam to say, it wasn't that. Despite his meaningful gaze, I didn't understand what he was talking about.

"For the bartender," he explained. Uh, oh. I remembered this was what Eric had said when I'd asked, on Sam's behalf, to borrow Charles as a substitute. I'd asked about the money and he'd said he'd take his payment in kind. I started to run through the implications in my head, praying that the old duck and dodge would get me out of whatever this was.

"He wants you to try and kill a member of his staff?" I said savagely. "And burn down Pam's house?" I had a terrible feeling about where this was going and it made me lash out. Instinctively I had started to gear myself for a fight. Sam could see my reaction and rushed on. If I was going into battle he wanted to make sure I knew exactly what I was up against.

"He wants a member of my staff, one night a week for ten weeks, the number of days Charles was here." He was looking at me meaningfully but I wasn't about to make it easy for him. Oh, I knew what he was getting at, what he was expecting.

"OK, so whoever is supposed to work on the nights he wants covered can do it," I said in the most reasonable voice I could manage. "I'll do my share and help cover here if you need it." I tried to speak firmly, as if this were the only way it was going to go, but neither of us were fooled.

"Sookie." Sam looked at me apologetically. We both knew the arguments; What I'd say, what he'd say, that it didn't really matter what either of us said, in the end.

"Sam, that's not fair." Oh boy did I feel like pouting.

"You brokered the deal." He wasn't accusing me of anything, just pointing out that I knew how this had come about so had no business being so surprised by it.

"Because you asked me to," I defended despite not being under attack. "You knew I didn't even want to see Eric, but I went anyway as a favour for you, and this is the thanks I get." Talk about no good deed going unpunished. I glared at him as if he'd gotten shot on purpose just to do this to me.

"I thought you guys were friends now. After …" he started coaxingly. I gave him a death stare and he shut up, snapping his lips together deliberately. It felt like I'd been played, though I wasn't sure that was a fair assessment of the situation.

"I haven't even spoken to him in weeks, other than Saturday night. He's only doing all this to annoy Bill or something," I thought aloud. My voice was less strident than it had been as I tried to figure out why Eric was doing this now.

"I don't think that's it Sookie," said Sam with some exasperation. I went back to glaring at him.

"I still don't see why you expect me to do it," I said when he met my glare straight on. "You could at least share it out." Sam stared at his desk again for a moment before answering, shifting that same pile of papers from one spot to the next.

"You've been to Fangtasia a few times, and you know the vampires." He was trying to sound offhand but his thoughts were vibrating so hard it was making my head buzz. "You already have a working relationship with the devil and his spawn." His gaze flicked up from his desk on this one and he grinned at me hoping I'd laugh at his joke. When I didn't, he straightened his face and went on. "You don't have kids like the other girls. Plus, I know you can handle yourself around them. If I try to send someone else …" He was scrambling for more reasons why it had to be me and it suddenly clicked. I kept my glare steadily on him, waiting until he met my eye.

"He told you to send me."

Sam opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he finally said, "Not in so many words."

I put my hands on my hips. "In what words?" I demanded, but the look on Sam's face made it clear he wasn't going to tell me exactly what Eric had said. He gave a theatrical shrug, hands out, palms up.

"You and I both know it's you he wants working for him. What can I do? When Eric Northman calls in a favour you have to pay." There was an edge of fear to Sam's thoughts, though he was trying to hide it. It was because of that I started to give in. It occurred to me that Sam probably didn't like this any more than I did. He didn't have a choice.

It made sense that Eric would do something like this. Sam had been right when he'd implied I shouldn't be surprised. When I'd met Alcide it was because Eric had called in a favour and commanded him to accompany me to Jackson. I did know this was how it worked and it _had_ been me that negotiated the debt with Eric. He'd hinted at the time he was only agreeing because I was the one asking – of course he was still trying to get information out of me at the time. I knew it was the right thing to do, to help Sam even things out again but …

"I hate this Sam, it stinks." I slumped into the chair facing his desk and dropped my chin on my chest. I didn't want to work for Eric, there were too many mixed up feelings attached to the Area 5 Sheriff.

I still often missed the gentle stranger that had stayed with me, the one to whom I was the whole world. The real Eric on the other hand brought out a whole mess of different emotions: I was scared of what he now knew about me; Confused by the way he blew hot and cold, the way he'd threatened to kill me but then rushed over to save me from Charles; Hurt that he had made no effort to contact me since he'd kissed me in Sam's office, it had only been a brush of his lips, but I remembered it just the same; I was insulted by the cold shoulder routine when I'd been in Bill's car at Fangtasia, and by the games he'd been playing on Saturday night; Angry that he was basically manipulating my boss into making me work for him; And I was furious at the tingle of excitement I felt at the prospect. Damn vampire.

Sam was giving me pleading puppy dog eyes (which naturally he was very good at) and I huffed at him.

"I'm not going to get out of this am I?" I folded my arms and gave my best little sister scowl (it was an exaggerated gesture to combat the puppy-eyes), which made Sam soften his gaze to something more understanding than begging.

"He'll just find some other way to get what he wants if you say no. And it's only a few weeks. Please Sookie. Officially you'll still be working for me, you'll just be working at Fangtasia, it won't be so bad." I wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing that ridiculous get-up they dress in," I sulked. "And I'm not doing that stupid bow." A horrifying thought suddenly came to me and I dropped my childish act. "And I'm absolutely _not _calling him _master,_" I said in all seriousness. My voice had gotten a little too loud and Sam held his palms up to calm me.

"You'll have to take that up with him. I'm just supposed to provide a member of staff every Wednesday night until the debt is paid. He said you should call Pam if you had any questions."

"Right." I scuffed my feet on the floor. I felt like I'd just been had. This was why Eric called Sam, not because technically the debt was his, but because he knew I'd let Sam talk me into it.

"I'm sorry chère, I swear I did ask if he'd accept anything else, I got a pretty adamant, 'no way, _José_'." From the flash in Sam's eye I realised he'd argued vehemently against this and lost. I gave him a small forgiving smile. I wasn't going to hold this against him, that smile said. No, I knew just who to hold responsible for my new employment terms.

* * *

A/N: OK, I know I know, I'm a terrible tease putting Eric in the title then not having him show up in the chapter but as you just heard, Sookie (and consequently us too) will be seeing much more of him soon. xx


	5. The Good the Bad and the Fanged

**Dating in the Dark**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Three cheers for the great and wonderful treewitch703, 'for she's a jolly good fellow and so say all of us' :)**

**As part of mastering the art of procrastination when it comes to what I ****_should_**** be doing this week, I am sneaking in another posting, big hugs.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Good the Bad and the Fanged.**

**Dating Do: Do pick your clothes carefully. After all there are some outfits that just scream 'bite me'!**

I waited until half past seven before calling Fangtasia. I wasn't sure how soon after sunset Pam would get there. Luckily she answered the phone.

"Fangtasia, where all your bloody dreams come true," her bored monotone reverberated down the line.

"Hey Pam, it's Sookie," I said dejectedly. The more I thought about this whole thing, the more nervous I felt.

"Sookie, fancy hearing from you," she said, not even faking surprise in her tone. "How can I help you this fine evening?" I'd clearly made her night, she sounded positively perky, by Pam standards, though I'd never use that word to describe her to her face.

"Well apparently I've been conscripted to help _you_," I said letting irritation sound in my voice.

"Is that right?" She was delighted, probably as much by my irritation as by the fact I would be working at Fangtasia for the next few months.

"I have a few conditions though," I said quickly. I felt I was justified in this, Charles had come with some stipulations after all, including staying at my house. Pam had followed my line of thought.

"I'd be more than happy to provide a bed for you the nights you work here Sookie. I could make you _very_ comfortable at my house," she said, dripping so much sex down the phone I almost felt the need to wipe my ear. You could tell she was Eric's child.

"That won't be necessary, thank you," I said with as much decorum as I could. "But, about the uniform …"

"Of course we'll provide one for you," she interrupted before I could make my point. I wasn't giving in that easily though.

"I'm not wearing one of those 'Morticia Addams' dresses Pam, they look ridiculous." I hated the whine in my voice. I cleared my throat and reminded myself I was simply negotiating a business deal not sharing with a friend.

"Yes they do," she agreed quite reasonably, "but it's what the customers expect and how the staff can be identified. I have to wear it too." I had to acknowledge that. I closed my eyes in defeat while Pam waited silently for me to agree.

"Fine." I opened my eyes again. "Pam … Pam?" She'd hung up. I looked at the phone in my hand and made an irritated sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh. I still had some other issues to cover.

I dialled the number again and listened to the recording before pressing three to get through to the bar.

"Fangtasia, bar with a bite," answered Ginger cheerfully. Most of the staff liked to put on a 'vampire' voice when they answered the phone that just made them sound drunk but Ginger was mostly chirpy.

"Hi Ginger, it's Sookie Stackhouse. I was just speaking to Pam and we got cut off." I was pretty sure Pam had actually hung up on me but Ginger, like all the waitresses, idolised the vamps and didn't respond well to anyone who seemed to be doing otherwise.

"Oh, well she's gone out now Darlin', said she wouldn't be back until later. Can I help at all? Or the master's here if you want to speak to him," she added enthusiastically. Ginger loved any excuse to approach Eric. I hesitated. I had a very clear image of him sprawled in his chair looking lethal and entirely luscious.

"Er … no … thank you. It's OK. I'll try Pam again later." I hung up quickly. Better to negotiate with Pam. Safer anyway.

[***]

Not long later I was surprised by a knock on my door. I wasn't expecting Bill tonight, he'd said he would be out of town for a night or two. I had to turn the outside light on to check who it was before I opened the door (having determined it was a vampire by the void). I'd taken to leaving the outside lights off mostly, to save on electricity – it meant it could be a little spooky when coming home late but I was always careful to scan the area for minds before getting out of the car.

It was Pam, holding a Fangtasia uniform.

"Oh, wow, that was quick," I said standing aside so she could come in. I led the way into the kitchen to get her a blood. She stood happily appraising my cleavage while it warmed.

"We had this one in stock and as your first shift is tomorrow I thought I'd bring it straight over," she said as I exchanged the blood for the dress. I made a face at it, similar to the one Pam was making at the blood, but she was wearing one the same. I guessed she had been on door duty tonight. Before taking off to come see me anyway.

I was holding it up against me with a frown – it didn't look big enough to fit, I would probably have to adjust it - when her words sank in.

"What do you mean tomorrow?" I felt all the blood drain from my face and I gripped the back of the chair for support, feeling the material of the dress scrunch under my fingers. Damn it, now I'd have to iron it. I hated that dress more every second.

"The agreement is for you to work every Wednesday," Pam said not understanding my alarm. She was looking at me as if expecting to find some other cause for my distress.

"I know but I was only told about this today. I figured I wouldn't be expected to start until next week." I was hoping for a bit more time to nurse my inner steel magnolia to a strong healthy bloom before facing Eric on his turf.

I looked at her to see if there was any chance this was going to happen but even before she spoke I knew there wasn't.

"I believe the bartender you borrowed was given even less notice, he didn't complain," Pam pointed out. I was still using the chair for balance but trying to disguise the fact as smoothing the dress material so it hung neatly over the back. She was enjoying my discomfort and it pissed me off.

"Actually he had plenty of notice since he set the whole thing up so he could kill me," I snapped, straightening my spine and letting go of the chair. "He came pretty close to succeeding too. A point Mr High and Mighty seems to have overlooked when demanding repayment." Pam's gaze glittered in delight as her smile expanded at my words.

"Eric doesn't overlook anything," she said with pride. "The pirate still worked ten days. At the end of your contract you are welcome to try and kill me if it makes you feel better." Pam's smile became fangy and her eyes unfocused. I got the distinct impression she was imaging us wrestling on the floor. I coughed to bring her out of her fantasy.

I sank into the nearest chair, kind of slumped sideways. Pam joined me at the table but neatly pulled her chair out and seated herself with her knees carefully together, all poise and grace. I could actually see her doing that with a book balanced on her head. Despite her finishing school polish, her gaze was a little too suggestive for my liking so I tried to move on.

"That's OK Pam, I think I've been enough of a jinx for your staff already. Are you sure you want me working for you?" Despite knowing better I couldn't stop the little spark of hope that flared at the thought that they might change their minds since I'd been involved in the final deaths of three Fangtasia bartenders already.

"Oh yes, we're quite sure." There was mischief written all over her face. I started to have second thoughts about whose idea this was.

I took a deep breath and decided to move on to my real issues. I squared my shoulders. I'd promised myself that these were the deal breakers, that I wouldn't cave, no matter what. Clutching my steel magnolia, I spoke firmly. "Well if I have to do this then I have some other … there are some conditions to this …" my resolve didn't even last a full sentence before my flower of strength wilted. It was hard to remain confident with Pam looking so excitedly expectant. I suspected she already knew what I was going to say. I closed my eyes and pictured what it would be like if I didn't make my demands. It was bad enough I was going to have to wear the stupid dress now hanging over the back of my chair.

Finally I blurted out; "I'm not doing that stupid bow thing. And I am absolutely NOT calling him _Master_." I sneered my way through the final word like it was something nasty. There was no need to say who 'him' was. Pam looked delighted. She gave a good impression of considering my words for a long moment as she took a sip of blood and then carefully licked the residue from her teeth. She smiled indulgently at me again when she was done with her display of vampire attitude.

"You can nod like the vampire staff, you're not a normal human after all." I could tell the bowing issue was of no interest to her but I was surprised she'd agreed so quickly, I'd thought she would tease me a little first.

"That would be OK, I guess." I'd been around vampires enough to know the nod, and they all did it. But I was nervous as to why she'd not pushed the point, an octopus started drumming practice inside my belly.

Pam was leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs in total imitation of Eric. It was just the sort of pose he would assume – if he were Pam – you know what I mean. "What will you call _him_?" She asked with a smirk, I looked away from her, I didn't want to be bashing heads with Eric over this, even by proxy.

"I can think of a few things." The comment had been made under my breath but Pam laughed loudly making me jump.

"I'm sure." She continued to kick back with her blood just watching me. I drummed my fingers on the wooden surface for a minute trying to think of an alternative I was happy with. My mind was blank and with no one else's thoughts in the area my head filled with the song of tree-frogs that drifted through the windows from the woods. I couldn't think of a single option. I'd always just used his name.

"What's wrong with 'Eric'?" I finally asked trying to damp down the irritation I felt at myself for not planning this better.

"You're his employee now." Pam was all reason and rationality, it was impossible to argue with vampires when they did that.

"I work for Sam, and I call him Sam," I tried anyway.

"A shifter is not a vampire. It would not be appropriate, you must show him respect." I gave her a look and her eyes sparkled. "In public at least," she added with an evil grin.

I suspected that the decision had already been made and Pam was just playing with me. I gave her a hard look and sure enough, "There is no way around it Sookie, during your shifts you are going to have to use master, even the vampires that work for Eric do." I wanted to argue but before I could say a word she continued. "As a concession though, I suppose you wouldn't need to use it when you are not serving him." She offered this as if she were doing me a huge favour. I was glad I was sitting as I realised what she was saying.

"What?" I reached automatically across the table and grabbed her cool hand that was putting the bottle down. She looked surprised but didn't pull away. "Are you saying I'm suppose to call him that all the time now?" _ Please don't say yes, please don't say yes. __I__ won't do it, __I__ won't._ My inner child was having a complete hissy fit, but I let none of that show on my face which I left set on horror.

"The rest of the staff do." Pam could hear my accelerated heartbeat, or perhaps feel it through the pulse in my fingers which still gripped hers. Her fangs had peeked out and she ran her tongue over them. For once I wasn't concerned about her letching on me.

"But you're not going to make me?" I asked hopefully, squeezing her fingers in some show of friendship or sisterhood or anything that would make her agree with me.

"No." I sighed in relief and she grinned triumphantly. I realised I'd somehow agreed to use master in the bar, damn it. I pulled my hand back.

"You will no longer be able to call him Eric though, even outside of work. If you were overheard it would undermine his authority." Pam looked disappointed that I'd retreated fully to my side of the table and struck back by enjoying delivery of this little add-on.

"Bill does." I argued. Pam did too but I knew she'd just use the 'maker-child' card on that one. Pam snarled at the mention of Bill. I should have considered that upsetting a vampire was never the way to win an argument with one but I was too busy enjoying a little blip of triumph at rattling her.

"Bill works in Eric's area but was appointed by the crown so technically works for her majesty under Eric's command. Plus he is a terrible subordinate," she explained with distaste.

She recovered quickly from the subject of Bill and folded her fingers over to inspect her nails as she spoke again. "What about My Lord?" I hoped she wasn't serious but it was hard to tell.

"No one calls him that," I choked. I got up from the table and grabbed a glass from the drainer to fill with water as Pam replied.

"They have, many times." I didn't want to explore that. I gulped down half the glass of water in three quick swallows keeping my back to Pam. The moonlight was casting a soft glow over the trees outside as I stared through my reflection in the window. I turned to face the vampire still sitting at my kitchen table.

"Fine, Mr Northman then. But that's my best offer." I folded my arms stubbornly.

"I'll let him know," she said.

[~~~]

For some reason, that I actively chose not to explore, I had opted not to tell Bill about working at Fangtasia when he'd phoned after Pam had left. Of course he would probably hear about it anyway but I thought, as he wasn't due back from his trip until Thursday, I could at least get through my first shift before I had to talk to him about it.

Plus I didn't want it to sound like I was whining, especially to Bill, and the few times I'd mentioned it to people I knew that was exactly what I sounded like. I didn't really want to be working for Eric after everything that had happened, and especially since I had no idea where I stood with him. I knew I was going to be on tenterhooks around the large Viking.

I tried to tell myself it would not be _that_ bad and prayed that Eric's bar hours wouldn't overlap with mine. He had lots of other responsibilities after all. I felt sick every time I thought about the fact that I was going to have to call him master. I suspected he was going to enjoy that waaay too much and had visions of him inventing reasons for me to address him that way. I remembered watching the other waitresses bow and scrape, how I'd sworn to myself I would never do that, and now …

It didn't help that there was so much confusion between this Eric and my Eric. Thinking back to the way he'd sung my praises, first verbally and then with his body as he devoured me on my kitchen table, I found myself reflecting that my Eric would lose all respect for me if he saw me in a skin-tight dress playing serving girl to a vampire 'master', even if the master is another him. See, confusing.

My shift was half past seven 'til half past two so the sun had just set as I was getting ready to leave. It was a cool night and a breeze whispered through the live oaks surrounding my house. Despite the chill in the air I was feeling mightily flushed. I was so nervous my butterflies had been replaced by hummingbirds. I'd borrowed a long coat and wrapped it around me, glad the cool of the evening wouldn't make it too conspicuous, though it wasn't really _that_ cold.

I wouldn't want to drive all the way to Shreveport in nothing by my bar uniform even if it had been July – it was practically indecent. If I'd been able to reach Pam I would have refused to wear it but she wasn't returning my calls. I was sure the other members of staff didn't have quite so much skin exposed as I seemed to have. On the positive side, the need to cover up gave me an excuse not to wear the coat Eric had bought me, though I usually wore it all the time.

I'd borrowed the trench-coat from Tara to whom I'd made an emergency phone call two minutes after I tried my 'uniform' on for the first time right after Pam left. I'd tried Pam first and got through to a specially recorded answer-phone message which started with; '_Thank you for calling, Sookie,' _and ended with: '_I look forward to seeing more of you.'_ Unfortunately I'd discovered accidentally when collecting the coat that Franklin had bought it for Tara because he liked her to show up wearing nothing else. I was tying the belt tightly, not thinking about Tara in the coat, when I heard a knock on my door.

"Bill, I didn't expect you until tomorrow," I said trying to sound pleased he was back early, my nervous smile stretching my lips.

"Anubis dropped me off today." He kissed my cheek. "I saw your car when I got up this evening so knew you weren't at Merlotte's tonight. I came over to see if you wanted to watch the new thriller that's on at the movie theatre," he said. His voice started to slow as he took in the coat I was wearing. Curiosity shifted to something less benign as his face became more fixed and suspicion crept into his eyes. I could tell he was picking up on my nervousness. "You're going out? Is that a new coat?" He'd been very tight lipped about the one from Eric. Though he'd never said, I was sure he knew where it came from as, unlike my other jackets and cardigans, he never held it for me to put on.

"I'm working," I said carefully, trying to give away as little as possible.

"Sam has called you in?" Bill's tone made it clear that he suspected I wasn't going to Merlotte's, he knew I started earlier than this if I was working there. His inspection felt like a visual strip search, it felt invasive.

"No, I'm …" There was no getting around it and the way Bill had planted his feet made it clear neither of us was moving until I told him what was going on. I had known I wouldn't be able to keep it from him, but his timing couldn't be worse. I felt like my skin was a half a size too small as my body tensed. "Eric called in his favour from Sam. I'm working one night a week at Fangtasia for a while." I admitted. I tried to hide my anxiety by keeping my tone casual while checking my coat was wrapped securely around me. This let me make sure I was completely covered and gave me a reason to avoid meeting Bill's eye. When I glanced towards him, his face was very still and _very_ cold.

"What are you wearing?" He asked after a long awkward silence in which I tried to judge his expression without looking directly at him, while he remained as motionless as if he were in downtime. I used every mental effort I could think of to try to fight the blush that threatened.

"The uniform of course." I wrapped my arms round myself and Bill frowned at me.

"Show me," the command came with such a chilling undercurrent that it was like the order for an execution.

"No." I gave Bill my stubborn expression and waited while he calculated his next move. His eyes darted over me as he thought.

"Then I will simply come to Fangtasia with you," he finally said calmly relaxing his stance so he was simply standing at my door again rather than blocking it, though he hadn't moved. Oh, oh... definitely not a good idea. It was going to be bad enough without Eric and Bill getting into a pissing contest.

"Fine." I huffed and opened the coat.

Bill's fangs ran out but I couldn't tell if he was angry or horny, or maybe he was just hungry.

"You are not wearing that," he said with certainty. I could feel the heat on my body and knew the girls were blushing along with the rest of me.

"You do not get to tell me what I can and can't wear Bill Compton," I reminded him sternly. He looked upset so I tried to pacify him, making my tone more soothing. "It's the uniform, I have to wear it. Besides it's not for long, just until the debt is paid." Bill's lip curled slightly, exposing his fangs and making me want to move away from him but I knew that would make it worse.

"The other barmaids do not look like that," he insisted. His eyes hadn't yet made it back to my face.

"I know it's a little tight," I wrapped my coat back around me and Bill finally raised his gaze. "Pam said it was the only spare they had." Bill snorted. I couldn't blame him, I hadn't believed her either.

"Look we both know Eric likes to milk any advantage he has and Pam likes to stir things up when she can. But ultimately I'll go in, serve some tables and come home, end of story. It's no different than what I do at Merlotte's." My voice had gotten a little sharp. There was no point him getting mad at me, it's not like this had been my idea. I had been straining my brain trying to come up with a way out of it but in the end I'd realised I'd just have to deal with it. I'd faced tougher challenges. Though it's funny how fighting a witch-war can suddenly seem peachy in comparison to something as simple as waiting a few tables – though to be fair, knowing we won made it less scary than it had been at the time.

"I'll come with you." It was more statement than offer but I chose to ignore that.

"I appreciate the offer Bill, really I do," I put my hand on his chest. I knew he could feel my sincerity but I wanted to reassure him enough that he wouldn't show up. "But I think this will be easier for me if you're not there." I pleaded, wishing my puppy-dog eyes were as good as Sam's. Bill looked unhappy but he nodded.

"Be careful Sookie. Call me if you have any problems, Eric might be above me but he is not the most powerful … just call me if you need to." I looked questioningly at him but his face shut down and I didn't have time to argue or I would be late.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." After giving him a quick peck on the cheek, I grabbed my purse and keys to leave.

"Are we still on for Friday?" He asked startling me with the unexpected shift in his thoughts as I locked my front door. He was very close to me and I could feel the brush of his pants on my coat. When I looked over my shoulder at him, his expression was perfectly pleasant again but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it, though I've no idea what to wear." I smiled warmly. The change of subject was perfect and I appreciated it. It was just another example of how undemanding Bill had been recently. He made it very easy to spend time with him.

Bill was taking me to a new museum that stayed open late for vampires called Memory Lane. It claimed to have many 'never before seen' treasures that vamps had donated and more accurate information about the periods they were from. Entrance had to be booked in advance and was fairly exclusive (or at least it seemed so from the way Bill described it.) Each room had a vampire that had existed (alive or dead) during the relevant era to answer questions and explain the artefacts. The idea of spending an evening at a museum sounded very sophisticated to me, I didn't want to embarrass him by wearing the wrong thing.

"You could wear your Fangtasia uniform," he grinned. It was a sweet way to say he wasn't mad with me for wearing it though I could see he was still not happy. Lately, Bill seemed to prefer me in something with six layers of petticoats and a neckline where the only cleavage at risk of being flashed was that of the clavicle (when I left the house at least, he was more than happy to be able to see more of me himself). In fact it sometimes felt that since I wasn't his any more he'd rather pack me safely away in storage until I was again.

I looked into his eyes and smiled to dispel such unfair thoughts, Bill was good to me, he just worried that was all.

"Yeah right, you don't think this is too conservative?" I laughed and waved a hand down my front to indicate the outfit hidden safely back under the coat. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was gentle and sweet rather than passionate but he lingered over it for a long time. Our relationship was still tentative. Although I'd agreed to go out with him again when he'd asked on Sunday after my telepathy training, and he'd kissed me goodnight when he'd left, we hadn't made any official agreement on how things stood with us, it was still very much 'see-how-it-goes' territory. His hands came up to stroke my hair, face and neck as he continued to kiss me. He was trying to make me feel precious but something still felt off.

After a while I pulled back, gently so as not to upset him. "Look Bill, I'd better go, I don't want to be late on my first day." I kept my hand on him to indicate I was leaving because I had to not because I wanted to.

"Of course." Bill pulled me close again for a moment and kissed my forehead, then left. I quickly got in my car and headed to Shreveport.

* * *

A/N: On to Fangtasia! As always, let me know any thoughts or comments. I'll try to get the next chapter up at the weekend :-*


	6. The Other Stackhouse Sibling

**Dating in the Dark**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**As always****,**** a gold medal goes to treewitch703, *go treewitch, go treewitch, go treewitch* :)**

**And on we go ****…**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Other Stackhouse Sibling **

**Dating Don't: Don't start throwing punches, even if a guy thinks you're scum his opinion on that is unlikely to change due to a black eye.**

Walking into the bar, my searching eyes immediately located Eric standing by the till leafing through a pile of receipts. Fangtasia wasn't open yet and one of the other girls had let me in the staff entrance at the back when I knocked. She had given me a quick once over then headed back into the bar without a word after I told her I was the new waitress. Keeping my coat on I'd followed her straight through to the bar to report for duty. There was music playing but it wasn't the usual Fangtasia music. It sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn't place it.

Eric looked up as I entered and moved towards me, a welcoming warmth in his gaze. My mouth suddenly seemed dry and I felt my heart rate speed up. As he got closer his eyes hardened. It was like getting slapped, even though nothing else changed in his approach. I noted the slight flaring of his nostrils as he continued to advance. I suddenly realised why Bill had hugged me so much. Vampires! I felt like the blood both drained from and rushed to my face simultaneously and thought I probably looked like a strawberry rhubarb pie that had been dropped on the floor colour-wise.

"You are late," Eric snapped harshly not slowing his stride. "I expect you to be here 15 minutes before your shift starts in future." He stormed past me and shut the door to his office behind him with a snap. Well that was a great start. The other bar maids were looking at me and I heard from their minds that Eric didn't usually address them at all unless he wanted something, Pam dealt with the staff issues as a rule.

Speaking of Pam; she was suddenly standing next to me as I tried to avoid the overly curious and slightly hostile stares of the other staff. They got busy quick as she appeared.

"There you are Sookie. Why are you wearing that coat?" Her nostrils flared as Eric's had, but rather than frowning, she looked delighted. "You've been with Bill," she said leaning in and breathing deeply then wrinkling her nose as if I smelled unpleasant.

"He's my neighbour, he just stopped by to let me know he was back early from his trip." My tone was defensive, though I wasn't sure why.

"He's all over you," she said like she'd caught me in a lie.

"It's not really any of your business Pam," I reluctantly started unfastening my coat.

"But of course it is. Anything to do with Eric is my business."

"It's nothing to do with Er … _Mr Northman_ either." There _may_ have been _a little_ sarcasm in the way I referred to her maker. "Just because I'm working here doesn't mean …" I dropped my voice to a whisper. "There is nothing between Eric and me Pam, you know that." She looked at me like I'd just said vampires don't exist.

"I need to start work," I said desperately willing myself not to blush. I wondered how much of what I'd told Eric about his time at my house he'd shared with her. But then Bill had said he knew as soon as he saw us together that we'd … Pam almost certainly could tell too. She pointed to the stock room door and I scuttled off to dump my coat and purse.

[***]

Due to the 'extra-snug' fit of my uniform (it looked like it had been painted on), I attracted a lot of attention from the fang-bangers and tourists. The tourists mostly just wanted to take my picture. Pam had explained this came with the job so I put up with it. I was hoping they would tip better. The fang-bangers couldn't seem to decide if I was human or vampire. Several decided the best way to check was to slide their hands up the high slit in my dress and grab my ass. I wished at times that I had been a vampire, I would have drained them all. As it was I smiled politely (in my own crazy way) and tried to keep out of their reach as much as possible. In Merlotte's I might have hit them upside the head with my tray but making the customers bleed in a vampire bar was risky and _any_ violence tends to get vamps worked up.

The vampires started to show about nine. I was a hit with them too. The first one I served was typical. He looked about forty-five and dressed like a lawyer, but the clothing seemed so alien to him he looked like a bum in a suit.

"What can I get you?" I asked after nodding to him. He looked a little surprised I'd offered the vampire nod but then became distracted by my cleavage. I couldn't really blame him, in this outfit I was almost distracted by it myself.

"What are you offering?" He said with a leer in his voice. He was breathing deeply and leaning towards me slightly. I ran through the list of blood options available and fought the urge to step back, fear was not a good thing to even hint at with vampires.

"Nothing else?" He drawled.

"No," I said firmly. Some of the staff made arrangements to meet up with vamps after their shift, I wanted to make it as clear as possible, to everyone, I would not be doing that. He finally lifted his head to meet my eyes and I felt a familiar tingle. Oh shit.

Before I could decide how I was going handle the situation, he snapped his gaze away to something behind me and when he looked back the glamour was gone from his eyes.

"A Royalty Blend. Make it quick." There was something slightly hostile about him now, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I nodded again and turned to go straight to the bar. I immediately spotted Eric standing talking to Pam with his back to me. I wasn't sure when he had come out of his office but I figured his presence was why the vamp had stopped trying to influence me. Eric had a 'no glamouring' rule when it came to his staff – though I was sure he'd had to glamour them many a time himself.

By the time I had served the Royalty Blend, Eric was lounging in his chair in the middle of the room, one of my tables I noted. His eyes raked over me again and again as I approached. I became very aware of how my body moved, which made me feel awkward and clumsy. I also noted it was hot in here. My throat felt tight and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to ask him what he wanted. I realised I'd never heard him order, the rest of the staff just seemed to know what he had and delivered it automatically, but no one had told me.

I stood before him and he looked at me for a long moment with anticipation in his eyes. Then I remembered and offered him the nod. "Master." I had to force the word out, my whole body seemed to rebel against it. His lips twitched and he nodded slowly back keeping his eyes on me the whole time. "I'm sorry," I flustered. "I just realised I don't know what you drink."

"Don't you? Why don't you guess," he said, his eyes lingering at my exposed bosom and thigh as he looked me over again.

"I'm … I … don't really know with blood types. Is there a big difference?" He'd ordered 'O' in Merlotte's the other night but I figured that was more about teasing Bill than any particular preference.

"Oh yes," he said, his eyes now lingering at my throat.

"Well, which one do you like best?" I wished he'd just order already so I could move away from him before my body betrayed even more than it was already.

"It's not on the menu." Despite the intensity of his gaze there was a distant quality to his voice as though his mind was somewhere else, deep in a memory.

"Oh." I blushed and looked down, both Bill and Eric had mentioned several times how much they liked my blood, though I didn't know why I tasted so different.

"True Blood, A negative," he said abruptly and turned his attention away from me as if he were bored. I blushed deeper, I'd obviously misunderstood him. With all the blood he'd tasted over the centuries, there were bound to be loads that tasted better than me. I nodded once more even though he wasn't looking at me and headed to the bar. He didn't address me again when I returned with his drink. In fact, as I worked he ignored me just as completely as he did all the humans. I told myself I was relieved about that.

My first shift involved a steep learning curve. The music was loud which made hearing the orders harder than at Merlotte's. I made the mistake of dipping my shields to try and get the order straight from a customer's head once. The wave of lusty thoughts that rushed in on me made me drop my pad and I had to be rescued by Pam after I crouched down to pick it up and even more of me popped out of the dress.

Everyone wandered around a lot so often they'd gone by the time you came back with their order, though they'd usually show up again a while later. Tourists would interrupt at random moments to ask mostly stupid questions and I had to get used to staying out of touching reach as much as possible. You'd get that kind of thing occasionally at Merlotte's but it seemed to me pretty much everyone human, male and female, that came to Fangtasia thought nothing of grabbing, rubbing, pinching and generally groping everyone else. There was a kind of 'why walk round someone when you can rub past them' rule. Staff were expected maintain certain standards of behaviour, though some encouraged it on the qt.

Vampires, of course, are very finicky about anyone invading their personal space. No one touched them unless specifically given permission, and staff were not allowed to engage in that behaviour while on duty. We had to keep the same distance as they generally kept from each other. I knew from the comments, thoughts and general attitude of the customers; fang-banger, tourist and vampire, that the extra exposure of my uniform made me seem even more 'ready, willing and able' than the other staff, as my quickly bruising butt could vouch for. I thought I might take Pam up on her offer for me to try and kill her at the end of my term at the bar.

I also had to be careful about making eye contact with the vampires, so many of them tried to glamour me. It quickly became a familiar pattern, I would approach to take their order, they would stall while deciding, breathing deeply, and then suddenly my head would start to tingle. Pam invariably seemed to appear nearby whenever this happened and they'd back off. I knew it wouldn't work but that wasn't something I wanted to get around, they might start asking why.

Towards the end of the shift I got trapped in a corner with a female vampire blocking my way. She was close but not actually touching me. I couldn't get passed her without making contact and she didn't appear to hear me when I asked politely if I could get by. Eventually I tapped her very gently on the arm. She pinned me against the wall in the same moment.

As her face came right up to mine she breathed in deeply.

"You smell delicious," she said, hunger and lust glowing in her eyes.

"You need to let me go, I'm working," I said firmly, breaking my own rules and looking her straight in the eye. My stubborn side refused to be intimidated even though she was a vampire.

"You touched me, that makes you fair game," she smirked. She wasn't trying to glamour me, I got the impression my reluctance was simply encouraging her.

"You didn't give me any choice, unless you wanted me to start yelling." I wanted to look round for Pam but that sort of thing is impossible when you are being held by the throat against a wall. No matter how much I wanted to, my eyes had no intention of looking away from such an imminent threat.

"I would love to hear you yell," she said throatily as she took another long deep breath. "Such an attractive package, so enticingly displayed, I am sure you are chosen often, but I assure you, you'll have fun with me."

I was by no means assured.

"Cassandra," came a smooth voice. She dropped me immediately and seemed to flaunt every asset she had as she displayed her fangs for Eric. He leaned into her and she licked her lips, breathing deeply again to make her bosom heave (at least that's why I figured she did it, it wasn't like she needed the oxygen).

"Eric, you great hunk of everything good, any time for me tonight? We could share her."

He was smiling at her and leaning in close, I thought they were going to go at it, right here, with me still stuck in the corner. Eric let his fangs run out just a little, showing his control.

"Cassandra, if you ever man-handle a member of my staff again I will remove your fangs, and many other parts of you as well." Anyone else might have added 'am I understood?' but Eric was already making sure he was. His power seemed to radiate from him.

Cassandra however didn't look cowed, she looked excited.

"Oh, _Sheriff_, are you going to punish me?" she purred. OK, Yuck! I really wanted out but now I had the horny psycho vampire and the pissed off local Head-Honcho vampire both blocking my way.

Eric pushed into her, flattening her against the wall with his body and she purred again.

"Get back to work," he snapped, I assumed to me though he didn't so much as glance in my direction. His movement had freed enough space for me to pass. I skedaddled out of there.

Eric stayed in the corner with Cassandra for some time but when I looked over, after serving three pitchers to a table from the air base, they had both disappeared. Eric wasn't back at his table, I could only assume he was in his office. As I swung my eyes round the room I saw Pam behind the bar, she smiled at me and I had the feeling she knew I was looking for Eric. I rushed over to another of my tables.

I was so relieved when the shift finally ended. Fangtasia was open later than Merlotte's and then with clean up it was 2:30 in the morning before we were done. I still had a long drive home. I hadn't see Eric again, maybe he had left with Cassandra. I counted my tips and sighed, it was about the same as I'd usually get at Merlotte's, despite Eric's inflated prices. The Fangtasia crowd were not big tippers it seemed.

I got in my car and made it as far as the highway before my fuel light came on. I'd have to stop or I might not make it home. As I pumped gas I realised that with the extra mileage and no extra in tips this was not going to be a profitable venture for me. I'd be glad when I got Jason's bail money back. I drove 'girl-style' as Jason called it, to conserve fuel on the way home. Not that I was a speed freak ordinarily but every little helps and I'd read somewhere that cars use less fuel if you keep them below 50 and don't accelerate aggressively.

I collapsed as soon as I got in, ignoring the fact that I could sense Bill hovering outside, and was dead to the world until morning when a delivery man woke me up. 'Fangtasia' had sent me a new uniform, one that would fit.

[~~~]

Friday morning found me pacing up and down outside the Monroe court house. Several cops were watching me closely. I checked my watch again. Jason's case started in just a few minutes. Where was he? I went to the pay-phone and called his number again. As it had every other time I called, it went straight to voice-mail. I left another message. With each call my gut got tighter. What if something had happened to him? I couldn't think why he would miss court.

I dug out my mini day-planner and started flicking through the names in the back, trying to figure out who to call. I ignored the dirty looks I was getting from the Monroe cop. It had taken a moment to recognise him from my day spent trying to get Jason out of jail last week. He was the one that had wanted to deny my brother bail and we'd had words more than once at the time. He wasn't in uniform today and I couldn't figure out why he was even at the court.

I punched in Calvin's number again, no answer. I tried Sam, he didn't know anything but promised to ask around. I tried Hoyt, he hadn't heard from Jason in a while. I sighed and looked at the time. It was ten past.

A short while later, as I was trying Jason's number yet again, a uniformed officer approached me.

"Miss Stackhouse?"

"Yes." I looked up hopefully, perhaps Jason was inside and I'd just missed him.

"Do you know where your brother is?" He asked crushing my hopes.

"No. I've been trying to reach him. I'm really worried something happened." The officer wasn't moved by my concerns. He spoke officially, his voice sounding automated.

"The court has issued a warrant for his arrest." I was so panicked I hadn't really thought through all the implications. "Your brother is now considered a wanted man and the bail is forfeit. If you know anything, you need to tell me or you could be in trouble yourself for assisting a fugitive."

"I … A what? … No wait, he wouldn't miss this on purpose, something must have happened or … I just need some time to …" Someone had turned a food-mixer on in my head and scrambled my thoughts.

"I'm sorry Miss Stackhouse," he didn't sound it, "the judge has signed the order. If you speak to your brother I suggest you tell him to turn himself in. And you should report any contact to us immediately." He turned to go. There had been a deadness in his eyes throughout as if he didn't really see me, I was just another faceless relative-of-a-criminal.

"Wait … but …" There had to be something I could do.

"You know where he is?" He'd turned back and glared right through me.

"No, I just said that." I was flustered and frustrated but if I had been naive enough to expect understanding I'd have been sorely disappointed.

"Then I suggest you go home," he snapped as if that were the end of the matter.

"But something's wrong, I know it. We need to find him," I insisted. I reached for the officer's arm in my agitation but he pulled back and glared at my hand like it held a weapon.

"I assure you the Sheriff's department will be looking for him." He left before I could say more.

I sank onto the steps, shaking slightly with shock and worry. As I tried to force my brain to be practical and figure out what I needed to do, a pair of loafers and cheap trousers came into view before me. I looked up to see the Monroe deputy I'd argued with at the station standing before me.

"Such an upstanding citizen your brother," he sneered.

"Leave me alone." I hoped he just go, but it quickly became clear he wasn't done as he continued to hover over me.

"I knew I was right about denying him bail," he taunted. "Now he's run off like the coward he is." I should have ignored him but I'm just not built that way. I glared up at him.

"He's not a coward! You don't even know him." I pushed myself to my feet and angrily brushed the tear of frustration from my cheek. He didn't back off but loomed over me, crowding my personal space. I was careful not to touch him. His mental broadcast was loud enough without physical contact and I was too distressed to have full control of my shields.

"We will find him. And when we do he's going away for a long long time." His hateful thoughts invaded my head as he got right in my face. He thought Jason was trash, we were all trash. He'd lock me up right now if he could think of a reason to do so. He had a fantasy about being the one to find Jason. He pictured handing out a little red neck justice of his own and my brother squealing on the floor before him. He'd just tell them Jason was resisting arrest, it had worked before, no one would listen to scum like him.

All the tension from the morning suddenly exploded out of me and I pushed him. My shove took him by surprise and he stumbled backwards. I'd picked enough up from him during our few interactions to know just how much of a slime ball he was.

"Look at you! Acting all holier than thou when I know you're nothing but a lying, cheating, scumbag. Just backup off me buddy before I take that badge you like waving about and stick it where the sun don't shine." I wound up to smack the arrogance off his ugly face, but before I could follow through somebody grabbed my arm. My fury was totally focused on the deputy and I struggled against the grip restraining me round the waist as I kept on. "I swear to God if you lay so much as one finger on my brother I will track you down and show _you_ some red neck justice." There was a growl in my voice that any vampire would be proud of.

"Sookie don't. He's not worth it." It was Sam that had me pinned in his arms. Keeping a firm hold he eyed the Deputy.

"Stupid cunt," the cop glared at me. He was embarrassed I'd managed to get the drop on him. "Like brother like sister I guess. You hiding him somewhere?" I squirmed again but Sam maintained his hold.

"Leave her alone, can't you see she doesn't know anything," he said.

"She just threatened me, I should have her arrested." Sam pulled me back a little further and the fight dropped out of me from shock at the cop's threat. I knew he was seriously considering going through with it. With no Jason here, any Stackhouse would do. It was at this point that I also noticed quite a few people were watching us.

"She's upset that's all. I'll take her home. No harm done right?" Sam's tone was conciliatory but I could feel his anger. His inherent magic seemed to tingle against my back. His arms were still round my waist and I laid my hands on top of his, trying to calm us both.

"She'd better either turn her brother in or stay out of my way," the cop sneered, then he swaggered away. I noticed several of his friends waiting for him, wanting to know what had happened. They'd all heard me yell.

"Come-on Sookie, let's get you out of here. I'll take you home." Sam continued to pull me away keeping his eye on the group of officers.

"I can't go home Sam. Something has happened to Jason, I need to find him." I twisted in his arms so I could see his face.

"Come on, get in my truck. Someone will get your car later." I nodded, it was probably better if I didn't drive right now, and having Sam with me might be helpful when we got to Hotshot.

Once we got down the road, Sam headed towards my house rather than taking the Hotshot turn off and I looked at him.

"Sam we need to go to Calvin's."

"No we don't. Your brother's not there." From the way he was keeping his eyes steady on the road, I could tell he didn't want to meet my eye.

"What? How do you know?"

"He's been taken into hiding." The end of the sentence was clipped indicating that was all he wanted to say.

"What? But he was due in court, he has to show up, he has to …" I was running out of breath and couldn't seem to get more.

"Not going to happen Sook. The panthers are worried; because of the woman's connections, he'll go to prison. They wouldn't be able to break him out. If he changed inside everyone would find out about us. They won't risk it. End of story." Sam spoke quietly, but with a finality that came from beyond him.

I sagged back into my seat and stared at the road for a moment. The radio wasn't on so only the hum and crunch of the tires broke the silence. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" I finally asked without looking at Sam.

"Calvin wanted to be sure you had an alibi. Everyone saw you there, saw that you expected him to show. Besides the rest of the pack didn't want to share too much with an outsider." I was used to being the 'them' versus my neighbours 'us' but not when it came to my brother. I felt a stabbing at my heart.

"Where is he? I want to speak to him."

"You can't." I looked at Sam, letting the hurt show. I saw sympathy in the familiar lines of his face as he glanced at me before returning his eyes to the road. "Sookie, it's better all round if you don't know anything. I'm only telling you this much so you don't go tearing things apart looking for him. He's one of them, they'll look after him." I could tell Sam was walking a fine line between being one of the two-natured and being my friend. His loyalties were divided on this, he was doing as much for me as he could. I felt very alone suddenly but I held in my tears, they were private.

We didn't speak the rest of the way to my house and I kept my eyes firmly on the passing trees. Once he pulled up I left the truck without looking at him. Sam knew me well enough to stay in the cab, though he waited until I got inside my house before heading back up the drive.

* * *

A/N: So OK they didn't drop to the floor of Fangtasia and go right at it, but I didn't think Sookie would approve and that sort of thing would definitely get Pam all hot and bothered. However, do not fear Eric knows how to play the long game and there is much more of this story to come :)


	7. The Silence of the Panthers

**Dating in the Dark**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**As always, lots of love and huge thanks to the wonderful treewitch703 xx.**

**Also massive love and thanks to everyone for reading and especially those kind enough to take the time to review :) I love reading your thoughts and feedback, it really spurs me on xx**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Silence of the Panthers**

**Dating do: Do ensure moments of affection are not just a ruse to upset someone else, there is nothing romantic about being the human equivalent of a pissing post. **

After Sam brought me home, I left several more messages for Calvin and was watching the phone so anxiously that when a call finally came that evening I grabbed the receiver a fraction into the first ring and promptly dropped it. I fumbled to press it against my ear.

"Calvin?" I asked desperately. I thought I could hear a woman laughing in the background then a cool voice.

"No. It's me." Bill didn't sound happy. It wasn't like him to call, he usually just came over.

"Oh, hey Bill. Sorry, I was expecting Calvin." I was trying to make the necessary brain adjustment for talking to someone other than the person I expected and my voice was a little distracted.

"Clearly." Ouch, Bill was definitely not happy. It felt like I'd been stabbed with an icicle through the phone line. I thought I should explain, though I didn't like him getting all up in my business, it wasn't up to him who I spoke to on the phone.

"I've left him a message, about Jason, and am waiting for him to call back."

Bill knew it had been Jason's court date today. I thought he'd ask how it had gone and was trying to decide how much to tell him when he surprised me by saying something else entirely.

"I am sorry to say," his voice was still very chilly, surely he wasn't _that_ mad that I'd been expecting Calvin to call? "That I must cancel our date tonight. It seems I am needed elsewhere." OK, so Bill wasn't mad at me, he was ticked about whatever else it was he had to do. I could tell that he didn't believe for a New York minute that his presence at where-ever-it-was, was actually necessary, which meant he was being ordered to do … whatever-it-was. And, as far as I knew, there was only one person around here able to order Bill around, annnd that would be the frosting on the … frost.

"Oh, right." I'd actually forgotten all about our date and was grateful for the reprieve. I couldn't be sauntering around a museum when I didn't know where Jason was or what was happening to him. I was a little miffed Bill hadn't asked about it but I wasn't going to say anything since I was also relieved not to talk about it. I wasn't sure how much I should tell him, vampires and weres didn't mix much and Bill never _had_ been a big fan of Jason's.

"It's fine, if you have to work, I understand." I tried to project disappointment mixed with sympathetic warmth, but my long pause while I remembered we were actually supposed to go out tonight had given me away and I knew some of my relief echoed in my voice.

"I can call and switch our tickets for another night, we will be able to go soon, just not tonight." I could tell that Bill wanted me to enthusiastically agree to this right away but my focus wasn't on this phone call. It was on the one I was still waiting for.

"Sure, some other time. Look Bill, I really do need to speak to Calvin and I'm worried he'll try to call and not be able to get through. I'll speak to you soon though. I hope your work goes well." I was about to hang up but the sharpness in Bill's tone brought the phone back to my ear.

"Sookie? Is everything OK?" Finally he remembered to ask, though his tone was a little harsh. I just wanted to get off the phone.

"Oh it's fine, just Jason you know. Bye Bill." As I moved to replace the receiver I clearly heard laughter from the woman again, this time I recognised Pam's voice.

"I think that's what they call the brush off Bill."

[~~~]

Calvin never did call me back. The long night dragged on while I imagined all kinds of horrible situations for my brother: Jason arrested and locked up for life; Jason homeless, filthy, and on the run; Jason being 'silenced' permanently by the pack. I decided the following morning that enough was enough. At the very least Calvin owed me an explanation. I left a message threatening to call the police and report that I thought Jason was at Hotshot if he didn't call me back. I sat at my kitchen table with my coffee feeling a confidence I hadn't felt since before the mess at the Monroe courthouse. Sure enough ten minutes later my phone rang.

"Sookie you cannot call the police," Calvin growled down the phone the second I answered. I allowed myself a little smile that my plan had worked, but it was a bittersweet victory, I wished none of this was necessary.

"I know that, I wasn't really going to. But you should have called me back and you know it," I retorted. I heard him take a deep breath. There was some shuffling and what sounded like a door closing. When Calvin spoke again it was with the calm deep voice that he normally used with me.

"I'm sorry Sookie. I knew the police would suspect you knew something. It had to be clear you were expecting him to show up. I was trying to protect you." I knew he was sincere and my anger dissipated. Unfortunately that just allowed my fears to return.

"I appreciate that Calvin. But you know I don't sit on the sidelines when it comes to my brother." Hell it was because I was searching for him that I had met Calvin in the first place. "Is Jason OK? Can I talk to him?" I winced having wrapped the phone cord too tightly round my finger while talking and started to unravel it again.

"He's not here. We've sent him to stay with another pack for a while, some distant cousins of mine. I won't tell you where, so don't ask." He was trying to be kind but I could detect the authoritative pack master tone so I didn't bother arguing.

"Can I have a number for him at least or maybe he can call me?" Surely I hadn't just lost the last member of my family.

"I'll see if we can work out a way for him to call but it might not be for a few days. I promise you Sookie, no harm will come to him. I have done this to keep him safe. There is the risk of exposing the whole pack, the whole community, to consider, but Jason is in no immediate danger." I had heard what happened to other weres who had gotten the attention of the law and realised Calvin had probably moved mountains to keep my brother alive. He seemed to know where my thoughts had gone from the sob that escaped me. "As long as he continues to do as he's told and stays hidden he'll be fine." I made an indistinct sound in response. I was suddenly not sure I would ever see my brother again.

"It could be good for him. A chance to learn our ways, become a proper part of the pack," he added trying to put a positive spin on the situation. "He'll always be a bitten of course, but Crystal has gone with him, he's not alone." No _he_ wasn't. I felt a sudden need to get off the phone. As much as I'd wanted answers I now almost wished I didn't have them.

"OK, well have him call me, as soon as he can." I forced a little cough to firm my voice before asking the next question. I wasn't sure I wanted the answer but I had to ask. "Calvin, will I see him again?" There was a very long silence, so long that a Jason essenced void was already pulling at my heart when Calvin finally spoke.

"I'll make sure that you do." There was a promise sealed in the statement. I felt the release of relief. It wasn't great but there was hope, I clung to it with my whole heart.

"Thank you," I whispered. Then, unable to keep from crying any longer, I hung up without even saying goodbye. I thought Calvin might understand and forgive my rudeness.

When I was all cried out, I sat staring at the photo of Gran, Jason and me that usually sat on the mantle. It wasn't Jason's face that I sought, it was Gran's. I looked into those familiar eyes, forever frozen, smiling from the frame. I felt her love surround me as it had always done. Her strength, her wisdom, her no-nonsense Stackhouse pragmatism. It was no good sitting here feeling sorry for myself. What was done was done.

Calvin had to do what he did. Like he said, there was the whole two-natured community to consider. I knew that in some cases, where the arrest couldn't be avoided, pack-members didn't live long in jail. They were always dead before the full moon. I should be grateful that Calvin had saved my brother the only way he could. And I trusted his promise that somehow I would see Jason again, though it might be a while before I did. With a quick prayer to Gran I pulled myself together and determined not to wallow. Jason was safe and happy, I couldn't ask for more than that.

[~~~]

It was five days later, when my card was rejected at the store, that I realised I'd lost all my savings and wouldn't be able to cover my bills this month.

I'd already been woken far too early by my phone ringing. It had been Jason. He'd said he couldn't talk long and couldn't say much but just wanted to let me know he was OK. Though he'd apologised about what happened, he'd insisted he was a member of the pack now and had to do right by them seeing as they were family. He'd said he knew I, of all people, understood doing right by family. I was to take care and not worry about him. He didn't know when he could be in touch again. Then he was gone.

I hadn't cried after his call, I hadn't gotten angry, I'd just made coffee and got in the shower, determined to make the most of the day since I was up now anyway. It was still cool but the sun was out and there were plenty of things I could be doing rather than sitting around wishing life was different than it was. So I'd cleaned the house, swept the porch, then headed out to buy some food.

After fleeing red-faced from the grocery store, having no means to pay, I sat at the kitchen table and went through all my finances. I phoned to cancel the health insurance I'd applied for, luckily it was still being processed, so I could. I was glad I'd decided against getting my ribs checked a few weeks ago. I emptied the emergency cash jar that was hidden at the back of my closet and looked through all my bills.

If I cut back to bare bones I could just about cover this month. I'd have to use the full limit of my overdraft, and without extra shifts it would be a while before I got out of the red but at a push I could manage as long as there were no unexpected expenses. I'd also need to be sparing with the energy I used, my propane tank was getting low but I couldn't afford to get it refilled for a while. I looked at the clock. It would soon be time to get ready for my shift at Fangtasia. Another drain on my meagre resources.

I really resented working at the vampire bar right now, what with the cost of gas for the drive to Shreveport and back, and the fact that fang-bangers are some of the worst tippers ever, unless you counted the vampires. In Fangtasia the vampires don't tip at all seeing as they are required to be there. Besides they usually order only one bottle of blood per 'vamps on parade' shift, it's more for show than anything else, they all prefer the real thing.

Eric was the only one that seemed to drink much of it, which was odd because older vampires don't need a lot of blood to maintain their strength. I'd had to go over several times to take him a new bottle during my first shift, before he'd disappeared with Cassandra. The tourists tended to tip well, but they stuck to the edges and I had been assigned the middle section. Besides I wasn't likely to be such a hit with them now my uniform was more modest; my blond ponytail and crazy smile didn't look very vampish.

Of course some of the waitresses made substantial extra money on the side meeting up with vamps after hours … I shuddered. I felt dirty just thinking about them doing it. I would need an additional job. I opened the paper with a sigh. The trouble was, with the hours I was already doing it would be hard to fit anything in, and I wasn't qualified for anything anyway. I spotted a want add in the corner of the page. Cleaner, two hours, three mornings a week. Well it would mean some long days, but I could do that. Things would still be tight but I'd be able to cover my bills.

Once the Fangtasia gig was finished I could ask Sam about extra shifts, or maybe think about a higher paying job. I had better control of my telepathy than I'd had before, maybe I could find something … one thing at a time. I wasn't going anywhere until the debt to Eric was paid. Speaking of which, I'd better get ready.

As he had last week, Bill showed up just as I was leaving. He leaned towards me but I stepped back from him.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" He mostly looked hurt but there was a slight narrowing of his eyes that was suspicious.

"Well, for one thing, occasionally it would be nice if you hugged me for a reason other than pissing off … my boss." My waspish reply was thrown off a little by my not being sure how to refer to Eric. Bill's face shut down and I knew I was right. "Look, I get it, you don't like me working there. I'm not over the moon about it myself, but Eric did do Sam and me a favour and now we have to pay it back. It's not for long." I might have been sharper than necessary but let's face it I was already having a bad day. Bill seemed to realise this and looked me over carefully as if looking for an injury.

"I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't be making this harder for you, forgive me." He looked genuinely contrite but there was a curiosity to his gaze as well and I knew he was wondering what was wrong with me. I decided to let him off the hook in the hope that this would satisfy him.

"Fine, you're forgiven, let's just save the hugs for non-Fangtasia nights OK?" He nodded, looked thoughtful but then decided not to ask. It was one of the great things about Bill, he didn't push, he just let me tell him things in my own time.

In the end I hadn't told him much about Jason at all except that Calvin was taking care of him. I didn't mention anything about what had happened at the court and though Bill had asked how it had gone, once again he hadn't pushed when I'd been deliberately vague. I certainly wasn't going to tell him about the bail money. He already didn't think much of Jason and I knew he'd blame my brother for the difficulty I was now in.

"It's still a good idea for you to carry my scent while you're working at Fangtasia, for the other vampires," he added quietly after a moment, still angling for a hug. He clearly didn't want to upset me but was determined to say his piece anyway. I knew he was just worried about me so I settled my ruffled feathers and tried to answer him calmly.

"Most of the waitresses carry fang-marks along with a mix of scents, they're not exactly off the menu. Well not in the bar obviously, Eric's really strict about that, but they arrange hook ups all the time." Bill looked alarmed. "Ew! I'm not going to do that!" I said, upset that he thought so even for a moment. I could see from the look on his face that he regretted his reaction so I continued. "I'm just saying that your scent won't make a difference to anyone except Eric and Pam, which makes my job harder not easier." I asked for understanding with my eyes while keeping my face firm.

"Very well, no more pre-work hugs," he kissed the tip of his little finger and touched it to my lips. I kissed it too and gave him a smile.

"Perhaps a post-work one? Can I see you when you get home?" He asked. I knew he was hoping I'd tell him what was wrong. Aside from the issue of not sharing private information about the weres, talking about Jason would just make me upset which didn't help anyone. I planned to tell Bill as little as possible.

"I'm gonna be pretty tired by the end of my shift Bill." I packed my voice with regret. Part of me would love to curl up in Bill's arms and feel safe and loved and not alone for a while but I knew I'd be exhausted.

"I'll just say goodnight and let you go straight to bed I promise," he pushed gently.

A smiled tugged at the corners of my mouth, it _would_ be nice to have something to look forward to at the end of the night. "OK, but just a quick goodnight. I'm dead on my feet by the time I get home." He raised his eyebrows at my expression. I laughed. "I'll see you later, I'd better go or I'll be late." I didn't want to get snapped at as soon as I walked through the door again.

"Later," he smiled at me. I noticed his face fell as I turned to my car which dispelled the slight lift I'd gotten. This was already a really shitty day and I had a whole shift to get through with a long drive at the end. Still, at least there shouldn't be any digs from Pam about my 'unfortunate perfume'.

[***]

The moment I walked in the door at Fangtasia, Pam was before me.

"Eric wants to see you in his office," she said. OK, now what? Her business-like tone gave me no hints as to why I was being summoned. I walked to his door and knocked.

"Come," he said. I entered with my eyes lowered, closed the door behind me and then looked at him. He had his feet on his desk and was reading a report of some kind. He'd undone the top couple of buttons on his shirt which was a dressier one than he usually wore. Despite the pose of 'casually-busy' I had the feeling he had set himself in this tableaux specially when I knocked. He was expressionless again, but clearly waiting. I suppressed my sigh and gave a vampire nod.

"Mr Northman. You wanted to see me?" I figured I didn't have to use master, that was only in the bar.

"Yes." He looked at my trench-coat. "Take it off," he said. I rolled my eyes and undid the coat. My replacement uniform was still a ridiculous black flowing thing with trailing sleeves but it covered everything. He nodded, more to himself than anything. "Better," he said and focussed his eyes back on the report. I noticed his pupils were not moving. "I do not want my staff causing problems or giving the wrong impression."

I felt angry heat uncoiling from my belly and projecting out of my eyes. Like it was my choice to wear that stupid … I pushed down the flare of temper and held my tongue with effort, reminding myself he was temporarily my boss, and not a vampire to cross in any case. I had enough problems without pissing off the local vampire sheriff, which would also get Sam into trouble for not paying his debt. Eric had flicked his eyes back to me and was staring with such a blank expression he looked like he was made of marble. I waited but he didn't speak.

"Anything else?" It came out a little huffier than I planned. His look sharpened. After a long, self-composing blink I tried again. "Will there be anything else Mr Northman?" I amended, trying to sound as polite as I could. I didn't have the energy for his games. I just wanted to get through my shift and go home to bed.

"There is still the matter of your scent, it is too appealing." There was something in his voice that suggested I was doing this on purpose.

"I don't see what I can do about that," I said not managing to conceal my exasperation. Really! It was his idea I work here. Tossing the report aside, he stood and walked round his desk towards me.

"To be on the safe side, I think it best if you carry my scent while working. Pam said several vampires tried to glamour you last week." Unlike Bill's scent, Eric's did hold some authority and would keep the other vampires away. They would not proposition me without his permission in case I belonged to him. But I wasn't sure I liked the idea of giving the impression of belonging to Eric, it didn't seem necessary.

"Glamouring doesn't work on me," I hedged.

"That is not something I wish to advertise," he said. I was pressed against his chest before I knew it, both of his arms pinning me there. I resigned myself to it. It wasn't like I could stop him and it might provide some protection. I worked on remaining stiff and impersonal while Eric rubbed himself against me.

"At your house …" he suddenly said in a more intimate tone while I was still pinned in his embrace. The comment seemed so out of left-field that I discarded all semblance of 'employee Sookie' and fell straight back into the way I was used to speaking to Eric (unwise as that might be). I was trying as hard as I could to push away from him. He didn't even seem to notice my struggles and just continued to rub his scent on me.

"Damn it Eric, I've already told you about that, there is nothing else to tell." I managed to twist enough to look up at him, giving him just as firm a stare as he'd given me earlier. For the briefest flicker I thought I saw amusement but it must have been a trick of the light because his fangs were out and his tone was angry when he retorted.

"There is! You said you would tell me everything, you only gave me highlights." He still hadn't released me and being in the vice-like grip of an angry vampire is not a good idea.

Unfortunately I didn't have the sense to realise it. I was too mad that he was using me working for him to bring this all up again as I had worried he would.

"And you said you would help me, but you only helped yourself," I responded righteously. Even though this was not strictly true, he _had_ definitely come off much better than me that night despite the rock to the head.

Eric's eyes widened slightly then he shut his face back down. Even so, I thought there was something sulky about the set of his mouth. I knew he was conceding the point and I would have felt better about it if the point hadn't been that he had managed to get the information he wanted and my blood in return for something he was going to do anyway.

He was back behind his desk, fangs away, feet up on the table, reading his report again. I hid my surprise at the move and straightened my rumpled dress. Though he hadn't officially dismissed me, I turned and left anyway, closing his door a little too hard and ramming my coat and bag into my locker with enough force to shake the whole row.

* * *

A/N looks like those of us crossing our fingers in the hope of better times for Sookie might need to start crossing our toes too, no improvements yet. Still, the night is not over and it couldn't get worse … could it?

Big wet sloppy kisses 'til next time xx


	8. Eternal Tiredness of the Telepathic Mind

**Dating in the Dark**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**Also many thanks to you all for reading and especially you kind reviewers, extra kisses for you guys xx. **

**So everybody ready for another night in Fangtasia …**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Eternal Tiredness of the Telepathic Mind**

**Dating Don't: Don't run your car into his, some guys will want to rip your throat out if you chip their paintwork.**

As soon as the bar opened, Eric came out to sit at his usual table and stayed there through my whole shift. Painfully aware I was scraping the bottom of my financial barrel, I smiled and laughed, hustled drinks as fast as I could, and generally worked my butt off at being the perkiest most efficient barmaid I could manage. As he had the week before, Eric completely ignored me, though I often had the feeling he was looking at me. I'd turn to see if he needed anything and he'd be tapping away at his phone or talking to one of the area vampires. Even when I waited on him he barely registered my presence.

It surprised me that Fangtasia managed to be so busy mid-week, but it always seemed to be. Along with the tourists and fangbangers, you'd get the occasional birthday, divorce, or some other group night out, though those these were more frequently seen on a weekend. Local businessmen liked to bring in out-of-town clients, some of these made a point of nodding to Eric and he would nod back but showed no interest in them other than that. Then there were the shift workers who came because Fangtasia was open later than most places and they didn't get off work until late. Plus there was always a bunch from the airbase and some local people for whom this was simply a favourite hangout.

There was a incident half way through the night. No matter how firm my shields are some things always slip through, and with me being tired, my shields were not that firm. I picked him up almost as soon as he entered. I feel about the Fellowship the same way they feel about vampires and the slightest hint sets alarm bells off in my head. The guy had come to Fangtasia with the simple plan of walking up to Eric and staking him. It wasn't unusual for the Fellowship to use this tactic – it _was_ unusual for it to be successful – hey I'd stopped it once before myself – with very painful (and complicated) consequences. It was perhaps in part because of those consequences that the idea of someone trying to stake Eric upset me so much. I wasn't about to take the hit again myself though, if I could avoid it.

Eric was a popular target because he had a fairly high profile as a local vampire businessman. Since he was so photogenic his picture nearly always appeared beside any local vampire stories in the paper. The Fellowship had decided his death would get them the most press coverage as a warning to other vamps. This guy had put himself forward for the job because he noticed his girlfriend, although a Fellowship member also, looked a little too long every time a picture of Eric was passed around.

He wasn't on a suicide mission like the guy at Club Dead though, with such a public venue he figured he'd be handed over to the human police. Fangtasia wasn't a private club like Josephine's. He'd convinced himself that since Eric was already dead the worst he could be charged with was mutilation of a corpse, which is nowhere near as big a deal as murder.

He was at the bar, getting a couple of shots of Dutch courage, when thoughts of his mission pushed through the babble of minds to catch my attention. Abandoning the table I was about to serve and ignoring their yells as I shot off, I headed straight over to Eric and bowed.

"Master," I said trying to keep my anxiety from sounding in my voice. Eric's brief glance was loaded with irritation. He flicked me away with a finger and continued his conversation. I bit my lip and shifted my weight from foot to foot, wondering what to do. I wasn't supposed to talk to Eric unless I had permission, which he had denied, but I couldn't _not_ tell him there was a guy at the bar waiting for an opportunity to stick a sharp piece of wood in his heart.

I was just thinking maybe I should tell Pam when Eric gave me a sharp look because I hadn't left. He dismissed the vampire he'd been talking to.

"Get on with your work, I do not want anything right now," he snapped. There was a threat in his eyes, they glittered with the anger that had sparked when I had not followed his orders. Though his expression had my body screaming to do the opposite I stepped closer to him.

"You _do want_ to know that there is a member of the Fellowship here," I whispered as quietly as possible. He had turned away from me but his eyes snapped back at my words. "His intention is to send _you_ to the final death." After a frozen moment Eric started laughing. You'd have thought I'd just told the best joke in the world. I felt stupid, I should have just gone to Pam.

I turned to leave but Eric grabbed my hand to keep me beside him. It was a firm grasp, his large hand encasing mine, but not painfully tight.

"You felt he was enough of a threat to interrupt my meeting?" There was a hint of genuine question under the mocking.

"I just thought you might want to deal with him quietly now rather than waiting for him to try jumping you," I murmured in my best ass-kissing voice. (I had actually kissed Eric's ass once, while he was staying with me, I was extremely grateful in that moment that he couldn't remember it.) I had to keep my eyes from his face so as not to leak sarcasm into my expression. I wanted him to feel my insubordination without anyone else picking it up. He laughed loudly again. I tried to pull my hand back but he wasn't letting go yet.

Still looking amused he questioned me with his eyebrow then swung his eyes over the crowd. I relaxed slightly that at least Eric was showing enough to concern to want to know who was planning to kill him.

"At the bar, stupid 80's red leather jacket, like Michael Jackson used to wear," I whispered without turning to look. I knew from the brain signature that he hadn't moved yet but was watching me interact with Eric to see if he could pick up the best way to approach. He was thinking that Eric looked much bigger in the vampire flesh.

I was absurdly conscious of my hand in Eric's. It was weird how that felt more intimate than when he'd been rubbing against me earlier. It seemed to me his hands were warmer than was usual for a vampire. Perhaps it was just that I became so warm whenever he touched me.

"Were you worried about me?" Eric teased, pulling me from my wandering thoughts. I didn't suppress the wave of irritation I felt at seeing his smug expression, I wanted him to feel it. Tonight was the first time I realised having his blood in me might have its pluses. Though I didn't think they really outweighed the minuses. I had to keep my tone and words polite in case anyone was listening.

"He has a stake," I explained in the same almost silent voice. As I said it I smoothed my dress over my stomach brushing my fingers over the scar that was hidden beneath the material. Eric looked a little less smug as he got my implication – that I was worried about _me_ actually. His eyes turned serious and lingered where I'd brushed for a long moment, as if they could actually see the scar. I felt a little bad. It wasn't true that my concerns had been for myself, I'd only suggested that in retaliation because of his teasing.

Finally he released my hand.

Feeling like the emotional roller coaster of those few minutes had lasted hours, I nodded respectfully and moved away, keeping my eyes lowered until I had my back to him. After gathering some empty glasses, I glanced towards the Fellowship guy and saw Pam wandering away from him.

Over the next hour Mr Fellowship spent a small fortune on rounds of shots for anyone who would drink with him. He got so drunk he couldn't stand. He was going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning, not to mention a seriously diminished bank balance having handed over his card to run a tab. When he fell off his stool one of the other waitresses checked his wallet for an address and called him a cab.

I allowed myself a glance at Eric as one of the vamps 'helped' the would-be assassin to the door. The sheriff seemed completely unaffected by the incident and showed no interest in the guy being half-dragged from his bar. I wondered if that was all that would happen to the Fellowship member or if he'd get a visit later. Then I decided I'd rather not know. I forced a bright smile and focused on trying to make better tips.

At the end of the night my butt was covered in more bruises than a peach in a cage fight. Eric's scent might have cut down on the glamour attempts but made no difference to the human customers. My tips were also the same as last week, despite my attempts to be extra perky. I pushed the bills into my purse and wearily started to pull on my coat. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I really wasn't looking forward to the drive home.

"You _seemed _very happy tonight," came Pam's voice from the door to the stock room. My act clearly hadn't fooled her in the slightest.

"It's what I'm paid for right?" I didn't turn around, she could read me too well.

"Did you quarrel with Bill?" I looked up then. She was leaning casually against the door jamb, watching me.

"No, why would you think that?"

"Because you do not reek of him like you did last week and you are unhappy about something. Both these things indicate that Bill is up to his usual tricks." I leaned against the locker and resisted the urge to just curl up on the floor and go to sleep. When I'd fought off the yawn that threatened I answered without looking at her.

"Well, we haven't argued. I'm going to see him when I get home actually. There was some trouble with my brother that's all. It's family stuff." I'd meant to snap at her but I was too tired to put any energy in my voice so it just sounded like I was sharing. Every time I blinked I had to drag my eyelids open again. I wished I hadn't told her any of that now but it was too late. I glanced at her, she was watching me in silence, I couldn't read her expression at all. The word inscrutable popped into my head from my word-a-day calender. "'Night Pam," I said after a pause. I really needed to go to bed.

I rubbed my eyes as I sat in my car. On top of many sleepless nights I had the added exhaustion of an all round difficult day and a splitting headache from the effort of failing to maintain my shields. I might have been tempted to call a cab but there was no way I could afford it. When I turned on the lights and looked through the windshield, my vision was blurry. I rubbed harder at my eyes and opened the window so the cool night air would keep me awake and started to pull from the lot.

A red Corvette was suddenly ahead of me. I hadn't seen it in time. Stamping on my brakes, I cut the steering wheel over sharply. I missed the back of Eric's car by inches.

My car bumped to a stop on the grass that edged most of the parking area. As I rested my forehead on the back of the hand gripping the steering wheel, waiting for my heart to restart, a very angry Viking loomed into my peripheral vision and glared in my window at me. I sighed and made the Herculean effort of dragging myself out of my car.

"I'm so sorry Eric, I mean, Mr Northman, I didn't see you." My hands were shaking from the close call.

"Obviously," he snapped. I closed my eyes for a moment. I didn't have the energy for an argument or even a scolding. I only realised I was swaying when I felt a large strong hand steady me. "You are too tired to drive," he said harshly as I opened my eyes.

"Well that's just tough for me, because it's either drive home or sleep in your parking lot, which, no offence, is not appealing." I tried to return to my car but Eric didn't let go of me. Instead he pulled me towards his Corvette.

For a moment I thought maybe I had clipped him after all and he was going to show me the damage but he walked me to the passenger door and opened it.

"Get in." Was I in some kind of trouble? Anger had hardened his face and the tone of his voice told a smart person not to question.

"What? Why?" I questioned. I was partly trying to read him and partly trying to think of a way to get back to my car.

"I will drive you home." Eric's tone hadn't softened any but my fear turned to confusion. I really hadn't expected that. It's not like he'd been friendly lately. Hell, he wasn't being friendly now, what was I missing?

"But, what about my car?" I blurted out, my brain really not functioning logically. I guess I could get up early and see if I could find someone to run me back over to Shreveport to pick it up in the morning, but it would mean another long day.

"Pam." He said it at the same quiet volume but she appeared instantly. "Drive Sookie's car to her house." She got in it without a word.

"I hate to put you out," I said. I was more grateful than I sounded for the offer but favours from Eric were never free and he still looked really angry.

"You've shown once again tonight how useful you are to have around. I need you to be able to work. You will be of no use if you are in the morgue having wrapped your car around a telephone pole on the way home." He nudged me towards his car again a frown on his face. "You should rest more before the nights you are working this late."

"Agreed," I muttered to myself.

I certainly wasn't going to argue with that one, though it was unlikely to happen if I got cleaning work in the mornings. Maybe I should make sure I had Wednesday mornings off. He was clearly very unhappy I'd come to work so tired. Not that I could afford to be too fussy. Eric's face was set so I got in, whatever he wanted I would just have to go with it. Once I was in, he folded himself into the driver's seat and set off.

"I really am sorry to put you to this bother. Thank you for the ride though, you're right I'm much too tired to drive," I said after we'd sat in silence for a while. I didn't want him to think I'd forgotten my manners. Eric didn't say anything so I turned my head to look out the window instead. There was something playing over the stereo but it was too quiet for me to hear properly. I could just make out a regular ch-ch ch-ch of a beat accompanying the engine noise. I found my fingers tapping my thigh along to it.

As Eric accelerated away from the block, I shifted uncomfortably, my butt was really bruised. Since I tried to avoid the pinches rather than encourage them like the other staff, I seemed to attract more. I knew this, but I still couldn't bring myself to wiggle my butt at people. Eric looked at me as I fidgeted.

"Something wrong with my seats?" He looked offended at the thought.

"What? No they're fine, I'm just a little sore that's all. Occupational hazard." Eric narrowed his eyes as he looked back at the road. I stopped fidgeting. We drove on in silence. Within minutes, my heavy eyelids closed and my head drooped.

The next thing I knew we were stationary. Despite the centre console I was somehow leaning against Eric and he had his hand on my thigh. I figured he'd been holding me in since I didn't have my seatbelt on, though I was sure I had fastened it when I'd gotten into the car. I must have been resting on him a while, his arm felt warm through the thin material of his shirt.

I sat up quickly in embarrassment and squinted through the windshield. We were in front of my house. The house and porch lights were all off, I'd even left the security lights off as a money saving measure, but illuminated by Eric's headlights was Bill. He was standing on the porch with something in his hand, though I couldn't see what. His face was locked up tighter than a drum. Eric was equally tense. The hand not currently on my thigh was gripping the steering wheel firmly enough to make it creak slightly.

"You should go straight to _sleep_. And do not come into work so tired again. I expect my employees to be fit to work a full shift and get themselves home," he said without looking at me. He took his hand from my lap and it made me feel exposed as if a piece of clothing had been removed. I heard a car and turned my head to see Pam pulling up next to us.

"Of course, you're right, it won't happen again," I looked down and wrapped my coat more tightly about me as I apologised to Eric. I couldn't look at him for some reason but from the corner of my eye I knew he was still watching Bill anyway.

"I'm sure." I opened the door. Pam was waiting to get in. I made myself look at the Viking.

"Thanks again for the lift. I really appreciate it." He nodded slightly to the air before him but kept his stiff posture. For some stupid reason I felt like crying, probably just because I was so tired.

I turned to Pam and she handed me my keys.

"You need a new car," she informed me.

"Well that's not likely to happen." I could barely afford to keep this one on the road. It was the old Malibu that Tara had sold me for a dollar.

"Then I suggest you get a service if you want that thing to keep running. If I were as fragile as you I would not risk driving it, you could die." Pam didn't seem to have any strong feelings about this, she was just informing me of what she thought.

"Great, just what I need," I sighed. She raised her eyebrows at me. "Thanks Pam," I added sincerely. She had driven my car back for me and the suggestion about a service was probably well intentioned.

"Sleep well," she said with a grin then gave me a kiss on the cheek. She was in the Corvette and they were headed back down the drive before I had finished gaping. Bill was still waiting on the porch.

"Hey Bill," I said wearily walking forward with heavy steps. I really needed to get to bed.

"Why were you in Eric's car?" He asked more harshly than I thought necessary.

"Because I was so tired I nearly rear ended him so he offered me a lift," I said trying to find the right key on my keyring with my burred vision. Bill swapped what he was holding for my keys and unlocked the door. I squinted at the object in my hand, he'd bought bath salts. I handed them back to him as I walked into the house. Not going to happen. He followed me in.

"Why didn't he just have Pam drive you in your car?" When I turned to look at him, he was frowning at the canister I'd returned.

"I don't know Bill, you'll have to ask him," I said dumping my purse and undoing my coat. "Maybe because he'd still have to come pick her up." I was too tired to care. Bill opened his mouth to say something else but then changed his mind.

"If you want I can drive you to and from work when you need to be in Shreveport, if you are too tired," he said instead of whatever he had originally planned to say.

"It's fine, today was just a bad day that's all. 'Night Bill." I didn't have the energy to make nice and I stood holding the door waiting for him to leave.

"Goodnight Sookie," he said quietly. He gave me a quick kiss on the opposite cheek to Pam, and looked mightily unhappy as he pulled back sharply. He went out the door and I closed it behind him. I barely had the strength to make it to my bed.

As I snuggled under the covers I realised the cheek he'd kissed was the one that had been on Eric's shoulder. I suspected this wasn't going to be the last I heard on the matter from Bill.

[~~~]

Sure enough the next night, while we were watching TV, Bill suddenly blurted out.

"You know Pam can run from Bon Temps to Shreveport easily." I was curled up on the couch, leaning against him under the old quilt that usually hung over the back. I was glad Bill hadn't commented on how cold the house was. I'd turned the heating off, even though it really wasn't warm enough yet, to save energy. We were watching a debate between some historians and vampires about the inaccuracies in human history. You'd have thought the vampires would have the definitive accounts but, since they couldn't agree with each other about what actually happened, this wasn't the case.

As interesting as the show was, I was still trying to catch up on sleep and was on the verge of dropping off when Bill's comment came out of the blue.

"She can? That's a long way to run," I said with drowsy disinterest. She'd mentioned doing that before, but I'd forgotten until Bill brought it up.

"Not for a vampire." Bill's voice had become as hard as the shoulder I was leaning against.

"Oh," I wasn't sure what his point was.

"Eric wouldn't have needed to pick her up," he said, his voice dropping a few more degrees. I finally realised what he was talking about and pushed myself up to look at him. His sulky expression became wary.

"For God's sake Bill, you're asking me to understand what goes on in Eric Northman's mind?" I threw at him.

I really didn't see that it was necessary for Bill to make such a fuss over me getting a ride home. Besides I really _didn't_ understand Eric's behaviour. On the one hand he had given me a lift which was thoughtful and sweet, but then he'd been so cold and distant in general, either ignoring me or snapping at me. He'd given no indication that he retained any of his old interest in me and had barely even spoken to me most of the time I was at the bar. No I didn't understand his mind at all, and I wasn't sure I wanted to.

"You had your head on his shoulder," there was an undercurrent of accusation to Bill's tone that I really didn't care for.

"I fell asleep." He looked sceptical. I lost my temper. "I told you Bill, I had a long day, I was too tired to drive home, and based on the fact I nearly smacked into him before I'd even left the parking lot, I might not have made it home at all if Eric hadn't offered to drive me. I'm sorry it bothers you so much," I threw in sarcastically, "but I'm grateful not to have died in a car wreck. And if it makes you feel better, judging by his mood he didn't get any enjoyment from me drooling on his shirt." I was glaring at Bill, breathing hard in my anger. He looked shocked at my outburst. After a moment he pulled me back down to a couch cuddle position, this time with my head on his chest. I resisted slightly but he was determined which didn't really give me an option.

"I just want you to be careful. He's up to something," he said calmly as if we hadn't just been arguing and he was simply commenting on the weather. I calmed myself in turn and shrugged.

"When isn't he?"

* * *

So what do we think Eric is up to? Like I've said before, there is lots in this story that is not what it seems on the surface but there are plenty of clues along the way for the sharp eyed and all will be revealed in time. We've barely gotten started and there is lots more to come :) Hugs 'til next time, xx


	9. Some Like it Dead

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**Hugs and kisses to you all.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Some Like it Dead**

**Dating Do: Do expect to occasionally see an ex with someone else, just because someone is getting them off right in front of you does not mean you can stab them with a glass bottle – no matter how much you may want to.**

Given the financial pit my bank account was in, I started applying for cleaning jobs right away. I finally got a call on Friday from Mrs Bragg who wanted someone to come in a few mornings a week. We talked on the phone for a while and she seemed nice, if a little hyper. It certainly seemed like she needed help. We arranged for me to show up on Monday morning and we'd figure out what she needed me to do when I got there. Sam had managed to give me a double shift on Saturday as well so I was feeling certain that with my belt tightening, I'd cover all my bills and even treated myself to some nice coffee when I went to the grocery store. The strain was starting to show a bit and I found I was getting sluggish due to too little sleep.

Mr and Mrs Bragg had four children, all in school, and they both worked. They wanted someone who could do a few loads of laundry, vacuum, do the windows and some general tidying. Their house was only a few miles from mine so it would be easy to get to. We agreed I'd do two hours on each of three mornings the following week and see how it went. The pay wasn't much, for which she apologised, but with the short drive it would still give me enough extra cash to get back on top of things and she did sound really nice.

[~~~]

The Braggs lived just on the edge of town so they could enjoy some distance from the neighbours but were close enough to everything to be convenient. I got to their house promptly at 8am on Monday morning. It was a single level sprawling ranch that looked liked it had been added to repeatedly over time. The yard was neat and nicely kept and there was an in-ground pool to one side.

I had on some old jeans that still looked reasonably decent and my hair was up in its high ponytail. I tried to relax so my smile would not seem too crazy and with one hand behind my back (fingers crossed), I knocked on the door. I heard the hurried tapping of heels inside before the door opened with the sharp swing of someone really too busy to open the door.

Mrs Bragg's face broke into a relieved smile when I introduced myself.

Jumping straight in she gave me a quick tour. The house was an interesting contrast of a hodge-podge of a building within which each room was very neat and ordered – even the kids bedrooms. Judging by the glance I got at Mr Bragg's personal space, he was the disordered one who had probably done the building work and she was the ordered neat-freak that wanted everything in its place. I liked the resulting home, it felt loved and had character.

Mrs Bragg explained that I wouldn't need to do the children's rooms, they had to do those themselves and her bedroom and office were off limits (it wasn't just me, the kids were not allowed in those rooms either). So really my work would be focused in the family spaces, the living-room, den, kitchen and main and guest bathrooms (The master bedroom had an en-suite but again I wasn't to go in there).

The children had already been taken to school by her husband and she introduced them via photos on the mantle. She had arranged to work from her home office the mornings I was in, at least at first until we got used to each other. After quickly showing me where everything was, she shut herself away with instructions to just knock if I had any further questions.

Wanting to make a good impression I bustled round as quickly as I could while still taking care to do each job well. I didn't want to work so fast that she'd need me for less hours, terrible as that might sound, but I did want to make a clear impression on the place so she'd feel it was worth while having me there.

At first she'd asked me to do Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but I'd explained I worked late on Wednesday nights and asked if it would be possible for me to do Tuesday mornings instead. She seemed uncertain but agreed to try it this week and see how it went. By the end of the two hours I felt as though I'd done a good job.

Mrs Bragg came out when I tapped on her office door and handed her the cup of coffee I'd made for her. This definitely got me some bonus points and she smiled at me then set to looking over what I'd done.

"Oh Sookie, thank you. I know it might not seem like much but this will make a huge difference." The cool armour she wore thawed slightly and I got a genuinely warm smile from her. Had she not been raised to be so reserved she would be hugging me and crying on my shoulder.

"I understand, and I'm real happy to have the work," I smiled reassuringly. I could tell she felt that hiring a girl to clean was admitting defeat somehow. She'd put it off for as long as she could, not least because she had quite exacting standards regarding her home which I was pleased to note I had lived up to.

"It's just we've this big new project at work and my boss has been pressuring me on my output. It can be hard working from home when there are baskets of laundry waiting for you and you know the kids need clean clothes for school," she explained, still needing to defend her decision.

"Absolutely! Even with just me in the house I know on a busy week how quickly things can pile up. And you have such a beautiful home." The words popped out of my mouth before I'd thought about them and I winced, thinking that I was laying it on too thick, but she beamed at me.

"Thank you Sookie. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then?" She looked hopeful.

"Yes Ma'am, 8 o'clock again?"

"Yes." As she shook my hand to say goodbye, I picked up that her boss had really been leaning on her. He knew she was one of his sharpest employees and had a better feel for their business than he did. He resented it so liked to give her a hard time, especially over her family commitments.

I headed home for a shower and some down time with my book before I had to get ready for the evening shift at Merlotte's. I was in a better mood than I'd been in weeks. Like Gran always said, you need your troubles so you can feel good when you overcome them.

[~~~]

Tuesday morning went just as smoothly and I was feeling pretty positive about the whole thing though it was a rush to get home, showered, changed, and into Merlotte's for the day shift. As much as my new job was boosting my finances, as well as my morale, it was taking its toll physically. I was exhausted by Tuesday night when Bill arrived. He'd come over with a video after I turned down his invitation to the movies.

I hadn't told him about my extra job, my finances were none of his beeswax. We weren't even going out, though the kisses were happening more often and he had taken to stroking me a lot. Especially when the conversation went anywhere near a certain sheriff, who was never directly mentioned but seemed to stalk the shadows of our relationship anyway.

I was hanging out in my sweats with no make-up and my hair piled on top of my head in a scruffy bun. The great thing about 'not-dating' was you don't need to make an effort every time they come over and Bill was always sweetly appreciative of my appearance whatever I was wearing which was a nice little ego boost. He was subdued as he followed me to the kitchen so I could heat him some blood and while never chatty, he was even more close-mouthed than usual as we caught up on what we'd been doing since we were last together.

Bill hadn't mentioned driving me to and from work again but I knew it was on his mind with Wednesday coming up. I realised he was working around to suggesting it again when he mentioned how tired I seemed a couple of times. Eventually to save us an argument I asked if he was trying to say I looked like crap, after which he dropped it.

He was still unhappy though. He kept his distance when we sat on the couch to watch the movie and kept frowning at the huge Fangtasia t-shirt I had on under one of Gran's old cardigans. It was my favourite shirt to veg out in since it was so baggy and long I could tuck my knees up under it. Usually Bill would pull me over to snuggle up next to him and drag the quilt over both of us but his stiff posture with legs crossed made it clear he was a no-snuggle zone tonight.

About halfway through I paused the movie so I could take a bathroom break. While in there I decided to change my top too. That big-ol' shirt wasn't as comfortable as usual with Bill glaring every time it caught his eye. Plus I always liked to snuggle through the soppy part of films and I could tell one was coming up. As I came back out wearing my 'Little Miss Naughty' t-shirt instead, Bill was in the kitchen, I guessed warming more blood, and I called out to him.

"There, I took the shirt off, now will you join me under the quilt? It's time for the kissy-face part of the …" I broke off as Bill emerged, he was on the phone and had an odd look on his face. I bit my cheek contritely and mouthed _sorry_. I hadn't realised he was talking to someone.

Bill was very still for a moment.

"Of course," he said into the phone after a pause and then took it from his ear. "I'm sorry '_Little Miss Naughty_', what were you saying?" I noticed he pressed the button to end the call after he spoke to me which I thought was odd.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were on the phone. Do you have to go?" I eyed the phone still in his hand knowing something had just happened by the change in the atmosphere.

"Not at all, we can watch the end of the film. And of course I would be more than happy to join you under the quilt." Bill seemed much more cheerful than he had all night and I smiled in response to his changed mood.

"Do you want more blood?"

"No thank you."

[~~~]

I set no alarm and slept in on Wednesday morning, it was absolute bliss. Even after I awoke naturally, I snuggled back down and snoozed as late as I could, after last week I didn't want to risk being tired at Fangtasia again.

The long sleep worked and I was bright, perky, and under-eye bag free when I pulled into the parking lot on Wednesday night. In an effort to boost my tips I'd gone for a smoky-eye effect with my make-up. It wasn't my usual style and felt quite daring but was actually still subtle compared to the other wait-staff. I wasn't going to start painting on fang marks – or wearing real ones. There was no sign of Eric as I dropped off my bag and coat and headed in to help set up. However, behind the bar was an unfamiliar vampire who was scanning all the human staff like a Health Inspector.

She was definitely distinctive. She was – there was no other word for it – fat. I'd never seen a really fat vampire before but this one looked like she'd have trouble moving if she'd been human. As a vampire however, she moved gracefully and was very beautiful. Her skin seemed to have more glow than most other vamps. She had rich brunette hair with auburn highlights that lay in curls over her shoulders, her eyes were dark brown with what seemed like a honey coloured star-burst through them.

Pam came out shortly after I arrived. After giving me a quick once over she took me by the upper arm and dragged me into Eric's office. He wasn't there. She plotzed me on his desk – then pulled a large vanity case out of the closet that held Eric's spare shirts.

She shook her head as she inspected my eye make-up. I'd known I hadn't done a great job but it was my first attempt and I didn't really have the right products for the 'vamp' effect.

"Really Sookie, you make a terrible fake vampire," she said.

"Right back at ya'," I countered, knowing the 'vampire' look was no more appealing to her than me. She laughed.

"Very true, all the best vampires do. This is reassuring, you are going to make a wonderful real vampire." She spoke as if it was inevitable that I would be turned. I narrowed my eyes at her but she didn't seem to think she'd said anything out of place.

"Pam I have no intention of becoming a vampire," I said firmly, still watching her face for clues of anything I should know about.

"None of us did," she said simply and got to work.

I didn't get the impression there was an actual plan to turn me, more like she just figured it was bound to happen at some point. Well she could think what she liked, when I got buried I intended to stay that way. After a couple of minutes I looked in the hand-mirror she gave me while she packed her paraphernalia away. I did look a lot better, my eyes were still smoky but actually looked sexy now and complimented my features rather than clashing.

"Thanks Pam," I said smiling at her. She smiled back and came over to wrap her arm around me and pull me from Eric's office back into the bar. She was acting oddly but I couldn't put my finger on it. She dragged me over to the new vampire but didn't let go of me when we got there.

"Sookie, this is Morgan our new bartender. Do try not to kill this one won't you." Morgan raised her eyebrows at me and her eyes went stone cold. I repressed the shudder her look evoked.

"As long as she doesn't try to kill me I'm sure we'll be fine," I managed to say lightly. Morgan's eyes moved from cold to curious at my unflinching response to her.

"What are you?" She asked taking in a long sniff.

"A barmaid," I shrugged. Pam laughed.

"How many vampires have you killed?" Morgan demanded. There was something sharp and shrewd about her. I got the feeling she could be a powerful ally or dangerous enemy, better to play nice, and be cautious.

"I actually haven't killed any of the Fangtasia bartenders but they do seem to drop like flies around me. No need to worry though, Pam has already promised me that if I need to kill a vampire at the end of my contract I can go after her, so you should be safe." I had killed a vampire of course but I wasn't about to go into that. I wasn't sure how much trouble I'd be in if it became common knowledge. Morgan looked even more curious. Pam laughed again and rested her head on my shoulder. I realised the odd behaviour was her being so physical. What she was up to?

"Very true, I'm looking forward to it." She patted my butt earning herself a scowl to which she just kissed my cheek. Morgan watched all this with the air of someone studying a new phenomenon then turned to face me directly and nodded.

"You are a curious being Sookie, I look forward to knowing you better." I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not but we had to work together so there was no way out if it. I nodded back making her widen her eyes slightly.

"Me too," I beamed a smile at her and scuttled off to finish setting out chairs and stools, checking napkin supplies and putting out drink coasters.

Eric swept in and out of the bar a couple of times before it opened but didn't so much as glance in my direction. Presumably he'd decided, thankfully, that I didn't require his scent again. In fact, I had the feeling I was getting the cold shoulder though he wasn't treating me any differently than the rest of the staff. There was no real reason he should – _except that you have helped him more than once when he needed you too – that you looked after him when he was in danger – that you were his '_lover'_ for a short while – _whispered a treacherous voice in the back of my head. I silenced it. Hadn't I been insisting that that was all done with now?

"Sookie," Pam's voice made me jump pulling me from my thoughts. "You're covering a different area tonight." The new area included the booths most often filled with tourists which cheered me up considerably, tourists tipped.

Tonight there were a lot of them. As soon as the doors opened it felt like the place was full. I was glad I'd gotten the extra sleep this morning as I was run off my feet keeping up with my tables. I was with a large group, answering the usual questions about garlic in my diet and whether vampires used pillows in their coffins, when I noticed Pam watching me with more than usual intensity. I dipped my shields but couldn't find anything wrong. I looked at her again but she just smiled at me. I put it aside and turned back to take the order.

My eyes swept my area automatically as I turned for the bar and I figured out why Pam was watching me. Fangtasia's owner was in a booth for a change rather than at his usual table which meant that even though I'd swapped sections I was still serving him. I might have thought he'd sat there just for that purpose but it quickly became clear he had another reason for wanting to be in a booth tonight.

Usually, when in the bar, Eric was stoic and aloof, like all the vampires. Tonight he was going in another direction completely. The fang-banger sitting on his right had dyed black hair, several tattoos and lots of piercings. She was currently stroking his hair and gazing at him in a slightly dim way that said she couldn't believe her luck. The brunette on his left was tracing the contours of his bicep with her fingers, trying hard keep his attention focused on her rather than the black haired girl. I suspected more of his attention was on the redhead opposite. She had kicked her shoes off and was giving him a very intimate massage with her foot under the table.

I didn't let the fantasy, of me dragging them all (including Eric) from the bar by their hair, show on my face and barely even looked at them after my initial glance. I was determined to disappoint the expectant Pam. I had only checked their thoughts so thoroughly because I was being careful after the Fellowship guy, I told myself, pulling back from their heads and slamming my shields into place angrily.

"They are drinking champagne," Morgan told me when I took some glasses to the bar and prepared myself to serve them a while later. The girls had taken their first round with them when they joined him, so I hadn't needed to approach before this. Morgan was sharp to the point of being rude with the rest of the staff but seemed to see me as something of a confidante. Or at least she wanted me to feel that way and often made observations on the patrons – even the vampires – to me when I went to order drinks from her.

"I am told the boss drinks A Negative on Wednesdays." On Wednesdays? Did that mean he had different flavours for different days of the week? I understood enjoying variety but Eric didn't strike me as someone who would stick to a schedule. I smiled at the new vampire and allowed a flicker of my eye that was not entirely complimentary about our boss's companions before picking up the tray for Eric's table.

I always felt a little uncomfortable serving him here, though it had never bothered me in Merlotte's. Tonight, with his skanky harem drooling over him, I was tempted to spill the bottle of champagne over the whole bunch of them to cool them down. Just as I had the thought, Eric's eyes swung to glance at me walking towards him. I realised my temper had flared and he'd felt it. I pushed it back down and kept a smile on my face as I approached. Eric's glance had been brief. He returned his attention to his companions, sliding his tongue into the mouth of one, while stroking the breast of another, foot girl was clearly still at work too. I tried to loosen the grim set of my jaw knowing my smile was probably even more crazy than usual.

Ignoring the kiss-muffled moan that came from the brunette and the competitive sigh that followed from the black haired girl, I rested the tray on the table. I nodded my head even though no one was paying any attention to me (I wasn't going to speak unless forced to) and set out the fresh bottle, replacing the empty in the ice-bucket. Although I kept my eyes on my hands rather than looking at the people at the table, my mind seemed to take in everything anyway. Eric turned from the girl he'd been kissing to share his talents with the other one. He ran his cool tongue down her throat, pausing to nip with his teeth here and there. One large strong hand stroked the foot in his lap and the other started working its way into the clothes of the brunette.

I was pissed but I wasn't really sure why. Eric could have sex with as many girls as he wanted. And he certainly wanted lots of them, all at once. Anyway, this Eric wasn't _my_ Eric, it didn't make any difference to me what he did. Let him waste his time with some tons of make-up wearing, trailer-trash inbred, wanna-be vampire, sluts. What did I care? I set everything out as quickly as possible and headed off to dump the empty champagne bottle, realising after I'd marched off that I'd forgotten to nod before turning my back.

I didn't even reach the bar when Pam grabbed my arm for the second time that night and marched me out back. I stood looking at my feet.

"I am reprimanding you for not showing proper respect," she said matter-of-factly. I knew how important it was not to make that mistake. If I was seen disrespecting Eric others would question his authority too and that could be dangerous for everyone in his area. Pam had told me very firmly the first day that any slips would have to be punished, but not told me how. I glanced at her face, she was smiling at me. "I'm so glad you are working here. I've never seen this side of him before. I shall be able to tease him for centuries," she grinned. I had no idea what she was talking about.

She returned to work-Pam. "When you go back out you will have to approach the table, apologise for your error and ask forgiveness." Then added more casually again, "It will help if you actually look contrite and a little upset from my vicious reprimand." I caught on. She wasn't really yelling at me but we had to give the appearance she was.

Then the rest sunk in. Not only was I going to have to go back to that table, I was going to have to beg forgiveness. Urgh. I scowled at Pam.

"Couldn't you just chain me up in the basement as punishment instead?" I suggested.

"I would love to," she said genuinely, making me wish I'd picked a different image, "but we are not supposed to do that sort of thing on the premises. I'd glamour you to make it easier if I could but that's not possible either." She really wasn't trying to hide how much she was enjoying herself.

"I'm glad it's not, I don't want to be glamoured into grovelling." I grabbed a bottle of water from the small fridge that always had some cold soft drinks in for the staff and struggled to get the top open.

"It's not grovelling, it is showing due respect." Pam took pity on me, grabbed the bottle I was still fighting, opened it and handed it back.

"I don't see that he is due respect, not when he can't even show me the respect of acknowledging my presence." I took a swig of water. "Quite honestly I doubt he even noticed, he seemed far too busy to me." I tried to keep my voice disinterested but I wasn't entirely successful.

"Oh I am sure he noticed." Pam smiled again, her fangs had come out a little. "But perhaps it is not necessary for you to disturb him again. As you are new to the staff my reprimand will do for a first offence. But do not let it happen again." She wagged her finger at me in a way that said she'd enjoy it very much if I let it happen again.

"Fine."

"You cannot allow your jealousy to make you insubordinate." There was no teasing in her voice as she delivered this line. I choked on the water I was swallowing and she patted my back a little harder than necessary nearly flattening me.

"Jealousy?" I finally managed to splutter through my coughs. "I am NOT jealous," I insisted. Pam was not convinced. In fact my outburst seemed to confirm her theory in her mind. "I just don't think that kind of thing is appropriate in public that's all," I grumbled as I wiped my mouth with a Fangtasia napkin.

As she fixed my eye make-up again after my eyes had watered, Pam was still insistent that I was jealous but she did get one of the other girls to cover Eric's booth for the rest of the night. Since serving him was supposed to be such an honour the rest of the staff figured my not covering his table was a punishment. Again it felt like he was watching me several times through the evening, but whenever I glanced in his direction he looked busy with his sleazy ho's.

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OK, so I know that maybe there should have been a cringe warning for the Bill bits but things will be taking a turn soon (and then another and another and another). xx


	10. The Telepathic Miss Stackhouse

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**Hugs and kisses to you all.**

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**Chapter 10: The Telepathic Miss Stackhouse**

**Dating Don't: Don't be surprised if someone lashes out in the heat of the moment, everyone does it sometimes, even you.**

Mrs Bragg's smile was slightly tighter than usual when I arrived on Friday morning. As I headed into the kitchen to get started she told me why. Her second son was home from school ill. It meant she couldn't go into the office this afternoon and her boss wasn't happy. I offered sympathy but I couldn't offer more than that. I was due at Merlotte's and Sam had asked me to go in early. It wasn't quite a double shift, but was going to be several hours longer than usual. I wasn't complaining, I was grasping every hour I could get, still it meant I couldn't offer to babysit.

Lawrence made an appearance while I was cleaning the kitchen windows. I smiled and introduced myself.

"How are you feeling? Do you think you could eat something? I can make you some toast if you like." I wasn't sure what sort of illness he had but Mrs Bragg hadn't seemed worried about him, more frustrated, so I figured it couldn't be too bad. He eyed me sullenly for a moment and shrugged OK. I hopped down and pulled out the bread.

His thoughts took me by surprise. I realised I hadn't been using more than my most basic shields because I barely saw Mrs Bragg. Left mostly to myself I took the opportunity to relax mentally. Lawrence wasn't sick. He was playing hooky. I smiled to myself, feeling a little guilty on his behalf. He was causing his mom so much trouble, but he wouldn't know that, she hadn't said anything to him, naturally. And most kids do it at least once.

Then, after the toast had popped and I was spreading butter, I caught a more worrying thought. Lawrence was being bullied, that's why he was staying out of school. He hadn't told anyone but it had just become too much for him after they dropped his calculator in the urinal yesterday and he'd decided he needed a break before he faced them again.

I turned to him wide-eyed and spoke without thinking.

"Bullies are awful. But you should tell someone, your mom or one of your teachers, you can't let them get away with it," I said kindly.

"What? What are you talking about?" He asked defensively.

"I understand Lawrence, I was bullied at school too. It was horrible. My brother stood up for me when he could but he wasn't there all the time, and he wasn't in the same classes. There are people who will help, you're not alone." Well he wouldn't be. In my case the teachers didn't think any more of me than the kids did.

"MOM!" he yelled, staring at me like I had just skinned his puppy. "MOOOOM!" Mrs Bragg came running into the kitchen slipping sideways on the tiled floor in her heels as she tried to stop. Lawrence was still sitting at the table staring at me in horror. I was standing by the counter, the plate of toast in my hand, shocked by the volume and panic of his yell.

"What is it? Lawrence? What's wrong? Are you in pain? Should I call the doctor? Sookie, what happened? Did he say anything?" She was running her hands over her son looking for injuries, feeling his head for a temperature.

"She's not right!" he pointed an accusing finger at me. "She's creepy!" Especially after the topic I'd addressed I suddenly felt like I was a kid in school again, with all the other children pointing and laughing and hating. I bit my lip.

"What happened? Sookie? What did you do?" Already there was accusation in her voice even though she was trying to get the whole story before reacting. Lawrence continued to stare daggers at me and as Mrs Bragg eyes shifted between me and her son. I knew the job was lost. I might as well do what good I could. I set the plate back on the counter and straightened my spine.

"Mrs Bragg, your son is being bullied in school. I know the signs, I was bullied myself."

"What? Lawrence is this true?" She looked back at her son, examining him as if there would be some physical evidence one way or another.

"No! She's a liar and a freak. Everyone knows she's crazy. I heard the kids at school talking about her." Lawrence hadn't taken his eyes from me, but there was more betrayal than fear staring out at me. I understood he wanted to keep his secret but I also knew this was the only good I could do now and stuck to my guns.

"I may be a freak," I said to him calmly, folding my hands together to stop them from shaking, "but I'm not a liar." I returned my attention to his mom. "He's scared to tell anyone about it, he thinks it will make it worse, but he _is _being bullied and it needs to be stopped." I looked back at him, trying to convince him that speaking up was the right thing to do. I heard it coming so was able to keep my face calm when he spoke again.

"Shut up freak! And your brother's a wanted criminal. Josh's dad knows Detective Bellefleur, he knows all about your family, freaks." Lawrence wrenched himself out of his mother's grasp and scrambled up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door. Mrs Bragg was afraid to look at me.

Walking quietly around the back of where she stood stock still, I went out to the hall and got my coat then returned to the kitchen. I stayed in the doorway to speak so she could see I was leaving.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset him. I wanted to help. I know you won't want me working for you any more. It's OK, I'll go."

"Is it true? About your brother?" To give her her due she wanted to make sure of her facts before she let me go, but she still couldn't meet my eyes.

"Yes Ma'am. Well, sort of. He is wanted by the sheriff's department but it was a misunderstanding that got out of hand. He's not a criminal or dangerous. He just got scared and ran rather than staying to explain, that's all." I shrugged. I knew she hadn't taken in anything except that my brother was a wanted by the law.

"Here, I'll pay you for this week." She picked up her purse from the side, suddenly disquieted she had left it out, vulnerable to my presence. If I hadn't needed the money so badly I'd have refused on principle. Instead I swallowed my pride and took the money she offered.

"Thank you. I really am sorry. I hope you find someone else," I said quietly. Then I left, stuffing the bills in my purse without even really looking at them.

Half way home I realised it would have happened sooner or later. If the kids at school still talked about me, and were talking about Jason, the rumours would have reached her at some point. Then she'd have found some reason to get rid of me. Hopefully at least she would believe me about the bullying. I didn't resent Lawrence, he was scared that was all, and he had all that pent up anger from being picked on. Still, I wished he'd seen me as an ally rather than a threat.

I got home and called the other person that had seemed interested when I'd answered his ad. I had chosen the Braggs over him because they were a family whereas he was a single man, but beggars can't be choosers. I got his answering machine and left a message saying I was available to clean for him if he still needed someone then headed for the shower to get ready for Merlotte's.

[~~~]

To make my week even better, on Saturday my car broke down as Pam had predicted it would. It refused to start after my double shift at Merlotte's and Sam had to give me a ride home. In an effort to be helpful, he'd called Tray the following morning and arranged to get it fixed without talking to me. The first I knew about it was when Tray drove the Malibu over to me on Sunday. I had the embarrassment of having to arrange to pay him a bit at a time over the next few weeks because I didn't have the money. Tray was really nice about the whole thing but I hated having another debt. So all in all I was relieved when on Monday I finally heard back about the other cleaning job. He asked me to come the next day and just dig in.

Jed was a scruffy looking man with a scruffier looking house. He had quite a big chest, which he had obviously worked for. Unfortunately, rather than looking ripped he just looked like someone had used an air-hose to over-inflate him. Still, despite the state of his house he seemed nice enough. He even apologised for the amount of work there was to do saying he'd never really got the hang of household chores. He'd looked around at the mess with a bemused expression like he couldn't understand why it didn't clean itself. I shrugged. It would be a big job to get things straight but, if it worked out OK, after a few shifts it shouldn't be so bad. Besides there might be something satisfying about turning such a mess into somewhere clean and nice to live.

He was happy to let me decide what needed doing and when. I couldn't figure out what he did for a living, he gave me an evasive 'this and that' when I asked. There weren't fixed hours to 'this and that' so he warned me he'd be in and out while I worked but promised to stay out of my way. Whatever, it was his house, I just worked here. I spent the first day in the kitchen, I wouldn't have the job for long if he got food poisoning from dirty plates or cutting something on a board that had been used for chicken and not cleaned properly.

He agreed to pay me for two hours per day for the remaining four days of the week and then I was to be there three days a week, two hours per day after that. He was paying me the same per hour as the Braggs had and once I got on top of things it should be an easier job with only one person to clean up after.

By the end of the first two hours, the kitchen wasn't exactly spotless but was clean and safe to eat in. I'd work on the other rooms the rest of this week then take it from there. Jed thanked me when I left and seemed happy with my progress. My arms ached from scrubbing but like I said, it shouldn't be so bad after the first week. I went home to cut off the few remaining nails I had, there was no way I'd keep them nice now.

[~~~]

I had to rethink how I was going to handle this job when I returned the next day. Now that he had someone to clean it seemed Jed had decided he didn't need to do anything at all. I spent a good part of the first hour just getting the kitchen back in shape. Working as fast as I could I headed to the bathroom next. Might as well get that one out of the way early, it would only get worse if I left it.

It occurred to me that this was going to be a much tougher job than I'd thought as I surveyed the mildewed shower curtain, the beard scruff in and around the sink, and I won't even mention the toilet. The bathroom was so filthy I couldn't believe anyone would even attempt to get clean in it. But the damp towels on the floor attested to the fact that he still showered in the grimy tub despite the thick black ring around the edge. Well I might as well start there. Wishing I had a hazmat suit, I stuck the clothes and towels in a laundry basket, some bleach down the toilet, filled a bucket with a mix of detergent and hot water, and started to scrub. The ring around the tub had obviously been there a while and seemed welded to the enamel but after forty minutes of scrubbing I was making good progress.

It turned out the filth in his tub was nothing to the filth in his mind. I knew he was standing behind me when a very vivid image of myself, legs spread, head in the tub, ass in the air crashed in with such force it was all I could see for a few seconds. As soon as I was able to make use of my eyes again, I grabbed the bucket, spun round and flung the now cold cleaning solution at him.

"You dirty … filthy … you should be ashamed of yourself," I flared, feeling sick and violated. Why was it always those sorts of thoughts that came in visually? I shuddered.

"Crazy bitch! I told you it was a big job – you said it was fine. You know what? Fuck it! Maids are a dime a dozen. Get the fuck out of my house and don't come back. And if you think you're getting paid after nearly blinding me you've another think coming."

He'd managed to turn from my assault so the water hadn't gone in his face but I knew there was no point arguing. Besides in that moment I wanted nothing more than to be out of that house and as far from him as I could get.

I cursed myself all the way home. Thumping the steering wheel with the heel of my hand. There had been no indication he'd intended to act upon his (very graphic) nasty little fantasy about thrusting into me (with the help of some accessories) while I was bent over the tub. Now I'd lost another job. If I wasn't careful, word about me would spread and no one would hire me. As it was, most people in Bon Temps wouldn't even consider me because of my reputation for being disturbingly strange, especially with the new gossip about Jason that was spreading like wildfire in his absence.

These mostly centred around the idea that all Stackhouses were sexual deviants, what with my predilection for the dead and Jason being a naked peeping-tom. Old rumours about Dawn and Maudette were being brought up too – how could people ignore that he'd been proven innocent of all that and that we'd actually caught the guy that did it?

I'd have to look for work further away from Bon Temps, which meant paying for gas would take another bite out of my budget. Stupid, stupid Sookie. You'd think I'd be used to thoughts like that by now, it's not like he was the first man I'd heard have them.

I slammed the door behind me as I stomped into my kitchen and threw myself into a chair, dropping my head into my hands. After a short break I pulled myself together. Like Gran always said, there was no use crying over spilled milk – or in this case, thrown bathroom cleaner. It was done, I couldn't undo it. Unless I wanted to ask Bill to glamour the memory away from the man – which would open a whole 'nother can of worms since he didn't even know about my extra job and wouldn't be happy about it. No, I would just have to suck it up and do better next time.

I looked at the clock, it was still early. I decided I'd better try and take a nap. My back and arms ached from scrubbing the tub and it would be a long night at Fangtasia. I wasn't looking forward to another evening of being ignored by Eric and watching fangbangers rub themselves all over him while Pam smirked at me. I couldn't believe I'd only done three days so far of the ten I had to do. It felt like I'd been suffering for much longer.

I thought about taking a bath to try and loosen the knots in my back and neck but then realised it would be a while before a bathtub looked appealing again – I was sticking to showers for a while. Instead, after optimistically setting my alarm, I lay down on my bed, sank my head into my pillow and tried to will myself to sleep.

[***]

Although I'd made myself lie in bed for three hours, between worrying about finding another cleaning job and dreading dealing with Eric and Pam, I hadn't gotten any more sleep, I'd only managed to make a mess of my hair. Every few minutes I'd peek at the clock hoping I'd slept without knowing it. Definitely sleepless. The thick layer of cover-up didn't completely hide the bags under my eyes and I knew I wasn't looking too good, despite the make-up. (I hadn't bothered with the smoky effect again, instead sticking with my regular look.) Pam inspected me when I arrived but unusually for her didn't comment, and just gave me a hug, for which I was pathetically grateful.

I was also grateful for the small mercy that Eric wasn't sitting with a harem tonight. He and Pam sat in the booth alone and shooed off any humans that moved their way. Pam flashed me a smile or tipped me a wink whenever I went to wait on them but Eric always seemed distracted when I was near, checking his phone or making notes on the paperwork they were passing back and forth. Despite feeling invisible to him, I remembered to nod as I approached each time and before I left.

My arms and back were tired and sore. Several times I had to take the drinks to tables in two loads, not able to carry the full tray. I knew the other barmaids thought I was slacking, not even able to handle a tray of drinks, but I didn't have the strength and knew there was a good chance I'd have dropped the whole thing if I'd tried. It wouldn't have been so bad but my slower than usual service meant my already skimpy tips suffered even more. All because of work I wasn't even going to get paid for.

I was in such a dark space behind my crazy smile that I even plotted out a way to set up some humans to conspire against the vampires so I could catch them and claim a nice fat fee for the service. I'd never do it of course, and I felt guilty for even playing with the thought, but as I watched the tourists at one of my tables call over one of the other waitresses to take pictures (for which they gave her a big tip as she came over to show me – bitch) I wasn't feeling too Christian.

The only good thing about the whole day was that Morgan seemed to have decided I liked jokes and had a new one waiting for me each time I went to the bar. They weren't funny but they were so un-funny that they made me laugh which seemed to please her and encourage more jokes. The other waitresses scowled at us laughing together but this too seemed to please Morgan.

They didn't like me anyway because I didn't kowtow to the vampires like they thought I should so I wasn't going to get on their good side any time soon. I got along OK with Ginger, she was nice when it was just the two of us, but even she held back when the others were around. I didn't hold it against her. She had to work with them all the time, I was only here one day a week and a temporarily member of staff.

As soon as the doors closed at the end of the night, Eric and Pam swept into his office without so much as a glance at anyone. I didn't see them again before I left. I felt deflated by Eric's disregard, even though in a way it was exactly what I'd thought I wanted. The fact was, how ever little I'd looked for it in the past, I'd enjoyed Eric's attentions. He'd made me feel special. Now it seemed I was just another girl serving drinks, which was all I'd ever been, but I found I missed feeling special to him. Even after I'd chided myself for the feeling, it didn't go away.

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A/N: I know many of you are waiting for a change in the interactions between Eric and Sookie, well things will have changed by her next Fangtasia shift (and much more so just after that). Sorry this is a short chapter, I've posted today so I can try and get the next chapter out at the weekend or Monday (life permitting).


	11. Shut the Wrong One Out

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply to the latest reviews and big thank you to all that wrote :) I wanted to get this chapter finalised before anything else. **

**The wonderful, amazing Treewitch703 and I have been working hard on the next few chapters (I already have the whole story plotted out and a first draft of most of it but there is still much to do) and I'll try not to keep you waiting too long for them. **

**So on we go, a slight shift in the winds is about to set Sookie on a new course ****…**

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**Chapter 11: Shut the Wrong One Out**

**Dating Don't: Don't throw scorching hot tea in your date's face – unless he has just called you a whore in which case go right ahead.**

After losing two jobs, getting the cold shoulder from Eric for weeks, losing all contact with my brother, and the constant stress of my money worries, I was really looking forward to my night in on Thursday with Bill. We were going to kick back, play monopoly and just chat.

I was thinking of asking Bill if any vampires he knew needed a cleaning person. It would mean 'fessing up about my extra jobs but it might solve the problems I'd been having. I could go in the day while they were asleep and, since I couldn't hear them, even if they wanted me to go in when they were awake, I wouldn't have the same problems I had with humans.

I knew most vampires hated chores of any kind so you'd think they'd want to hire someone. Though maybe the fact that I couldn't be glamoured might make them nervous. Then again when Bill and I had been dating I'd sometimes stayed at his house during the day. As long as I couldn't get to their sleeping place I was hardly a threat.

Having eaten early, I made sure it was all tidied away and brushed my teeth thoroughly. Then I had some fun selecting clothes and applying make-up, even spending the time to curl my hair into big bouncy ringlets. Dressing up always made me feel better and I needed the lift this week. I was in tight jeans that rode low on my hips and a sweater with a deep v neck that showed just enough of my lacy tank top to accentuate my assets while still retaining some modesty. I had even slipped on some heels, though we weren't going out, so I'd have a little extra swing in my walk.

Bill was the perfect visitor to dress up for as I knew he'd appreciate my efforts and be sure to tell me so. With him being a vampire even if he thought otherwise I wouldn't have to know anything about it. Not that I was trying to lead him on or anything but everybody likes to feel attractive now and then, and like I said, I really needed a boost. Checking the fridge, I frowned at the less expensive brand of blood I'd had to buy and hoped Bill wouldn't mind too much.

I heard him arrive just as I was making myself a cup of tea. Unusually, he didn't knock but marched straight in making more noise than usual with his steps. I looked up smiling as he came into the kitchen. His face was thunderous and my smile froze.

"Whaa …?"

"Can you explain this?" He asked, slapping a book on the table loudly. He looked deadly and I was actually afraid of him for a moment. I risked taking my eyes off him to glance at the book he'd flung down. My mouth dropped open as I registered the picture on the cover. It was me and Claude.

I'd thought the pictures I'd agreed to have taken with the fairy were just for his portfolio. I didn't expect any of them to be used on actual books. In the picture Claude was reclined on a chaise lounge (though you couldn't see the seat on the cover) and I was straddling him with my chest pressed against his so that my boobs were spilling over the décolletage of the low cut corseted dress. My head was thrown back and my lips parted while Claude looked at me with a predatory gaze.

"Who is he? And why are you all over him like a tramp?" Bill's icy words stabbed me out of my shock. I had been feeling embarrassed and ready to explain what must have been a mix up, until his final word. All my shame disappeared and I turned angry eyes on him. When I spoke, my voice was even cooler than his.

"Like a what? What did you just call me?" My face was so tight in my anger that I had to force the words out.

"You are m … you cannot … you're … you are barely covered, it is indecent." My anger had broken through his for a moment but it soon returned as his indignation regrouped. "I expected better of you Sookie, I didn't think you'd be prepared to take pornographic pictures." His eyes swept down over my outfit with disgust as if it were further proof of my wanton behaviour.

"I didn't take _pornographic_ pictures. I was dressed the whole time. All romance covers are like that, you must have seen enough of the ones I read." I was disturbed by his evaluation, it had seemed harmless at the time but would everyone see it like he did?

"Who is he? Why were you even there?" Demanded Bill chillingly. I didn't think he'd even heard my reply.

"It's all right, it's just Claude," I said soothingly. I decided to downplay. If I could just calm him down we could sort this out and the evening could be rescued. I'd been looking forward to it so much. Just a couple of hours where I could push aside my worries and relax with a friend.

"Just Claude!" Bill sounded in no way soothed. "Claude who? His hands are all over you." The look he gave me made me feel like something nasty stuck on the sole of his shoe. I stuck to my plan of making it clear the photoshoot was not a big deal. He was looking so dangerous right now.

"Trust me, that was not his idea of a good time." Bill looked sceptical. "Seriously. Now if he'd had his hands all over you … that he would enjoy, well up until the point when you bit him anyway." I tried a small smile, though I didn't really feel like smiling. I was hurt by the way he was acting but I knew we could resolve this if he'd just calm down and realise it wasn't what he thought. I was hoping he'd laugh a little, smile back, apologise for the misunderstanding. Maybe even give me hug. If there was ever a week I needed a hug it was this one.

"He's gay?" Bill finally spat out after considering my words for a moment, he didn't look any calmer, he still looked dangerous.

"Completely. And a fairy. He's Claudine's brother." I reassured him further, I leaned forward ready to step towards him and rest my hand on his arm but the look in his eye at my slightest movement made me rock back on my heels in shock.

"If it was so innocent why didn't you tell me about it? Did you think I wouldn't find out?" His lip was curled slightly, not fully raised but enough to make his expression really nasty. "How many other men have there been? Eric, and Sam, and now this Claude." Each name was lashed at me like a whip slicing into to my flesh. "Every time I turn my back you're wrapping your legs around someone else." Seemingly of its own volition my hand flicked forward, drenching Bill with scalding hot tea, he didn't even flinch.

"Well they are my legs to wrap around anyone I choose." Clearly I'd given up on trying to save the evening. I didn't feel good about burning Bill but the angry red marks would heal soon enough and I was just so mad that he was throwing Eric and Sam in my face when … "Like you're so innocent with Lorena and Selah, and God knows how many others on all these trips of yours," I retaliated with a few lashes of my own. I couldn't believe he was bringing this stuff up. I was waving the now empty tea-cup around as I yelled at him. He looked frozen in anger. I just knew he was busy thinking up more reasons why my behaviour was wrong but his was right. He had the double standards of man vs. woman and vamp vs. human, that was like standards squared or something.

Exasperated, I turned away from him to take a breath. I seemed to come face to face with the book, which (despite in reality just sitting innocently on the kitchen table) seemed to fill the whole room with its presence, like it was under a bright spotlight. I hadn't taken it in the first time, I'd been too shocked when I realised it had my picture on it. This time I read the title and Bill's over-reaction started to make a little more sense. The story was called '_Taken by the Viking_'.* I felt a laugh bubble up inside me but managed to stop it just in time so that all that escaped was a slight hiccup. I wasn't sure what Bill would have done if I had laughed in that moment but I was scared enough of him not to risk it.

He moved so I could see him out of the corner of my eye, following my gaze he curled his lip at the book. His fangs were out. Between that and the coldness in his eyes I felt a further flush of fear and decided to try and divert the issue away from the main point of unspoken contention. Besides, whatever his issues regarding Vikings, it didn't excuse his behaviour. "I haven't had sex with Sam or Claude." It didn't matter that I hadn't mentioned the one other person I _had_ had sex with, his presence was hanging over the whole argument as manifestly as if the man himself were hovering by the ceiling (I almost felt the urge to look up and check he wasn't). It might as well have been him I was straddling rather than Claude on the cover.

When Bill spoke again his voice was quieter and colder even than it had been. His argument was just what I expected. "It makes no difference. Sookie, I am a vampire, I have to feed. At least I am discreet. I cannot believe _you_ agreed to do _this_," he pointed his chin with disdain at the book. "That you have so little respect for me and for yourself." His voice was pure ice. "I feel like I do not know you at all." He was trying to sound disappointed but the anger was too strong to be hidden from his voice.

"Bill, for God's sake it's just a picture." I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose trying to calm myself. My eyes soon popped open again several words into his response.

"Just a picture? You are flaunting yourself, posed like a hussy for all the world to see. I do not even want to look at you right now. If that changes however I can just go to the book store and see as much of you as I like, as can everyone else." He shot out of the house with a whoosh leaving my angry retort stuck in my throat.

I was furious. How dare he speak to me like that. Accuse me of being …

"I RESCIND YOUR INVITATION YOU BASTARD!" I yelled at the top of my voice smashing the empty cup I was still holding against the door he'd just exited. China exploded across the room.

My hands were shaking and my throat hurt from yelling. I took a couple of deep breaths trying once again to calm myself. It wasn't like Bill to go off like that. Things had actually been pretty good since we'd been getting closer again, though I'd noticed his anger growing over 'my time with Eric'.

I wasn't sure if it was just that I'd had sex with someone else, or if it was Eric specifically, but while he'd seemed fairly accepting the first time we'd discussed it, he had started to get a steely look in his eye every time the Sheriff was mentioned. It had gotten noticeably worse since I'd started working at Fangtasia. I'd figured it was only a matter of time before he showed up one night while I was working.

Even so, the photo-shoot for Claude had nothing to do with all that, and it's not like I did it with this book in mind. In fact I hadn't though anyone except Claude and a few agents were ever going to see the pictures. Most people I knew would be impressed to know someone who was on the cover of a book though. At the very least he could have given me a chance to explain. Well forget him. I wasn't even dating him when I did it. And he was the reason we'd split up in the first place. _He_'d cheated on _me_. I didn't throw it in his face.

I didn't want to get all riled up again so I pushed Bill from my mind and heart as much as I could. Slumping down at the table, I picked up the book in my still shaking hands, looking again at the cover. I'd have expected a Viking to be portrayed as blonde, rather than Claude's long dark waves. I found myself wondering if Eric had ever been asked to pose for one of these pictures. He'd almost certainly do it, he'd loved doing the Fangtasia calender from what Pam had told me. I shook my head to get my thoughts back on track.

Claude had assured me the pictures we were taking were _just_ for his portfolio. He said any jobs he got from them would then involve specific photos to match the relevant story. I wondered how one of my pictures had ended up being used. Twisting backwards, I picked up the phone to call Claude but stopped mid-dial. What good would it do? The book was already out there. I couldn't believe it had happened so quickly. We'd only taken the photos a few weeks ago. I looked at the cover carefully. As mortified as I was, a teensy bit of me was pleased to be on a novel.

I flicked the book over to read the back. I hadn't read any Viking romances since a genuine Viking had come into my life. It would be impossible to read it without picturing Eric, even if the picture on the cover was the gorgeously dark Claude.

I left the book on the table as I went to tidy away the broken cup and the things I had set out for our night in. I'd been looking forward to a nice evening with all the craziness in my life. I was furious that Bill had gone off like that, without even giving me a chance to explain. I remembered throwing hot tea in his face and decided, on sober reflection (well OK, on devastatingly disappointed reflection), I wasn't sorry.

I finished tidying and went back to the kitchen to make another cup of tea. The book was still on the table. Of course, the title would have been part of it. The animosity between Eric and Bill just seemed to keep growing. Of all the stories I could have ended up on the cover of. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought Eric had arranged it, or Pam, but as far as I knew they didn't know any more about the photoshoot than Bill had.

I swung between being mad at Bill for the things he said and still wanting the chance to explain to him that it had just been a misunderstanding, that I had no idea they were going to use the pictures at all. Eventually I tired of my inner dialogue and put the book away on my bookshelf. I grabbed a DVD from the shelf below and curled up in front of the TV. Time to focus on someone else's drama for a short while.

[~~~]

The following afternoon I drove into Shreveport with my ID to confirm the cancellation of my health insurance. I hated it. It was one of those days where even the weather seems determined to taunt you. Up in the bright blue sky the sun, though still not that strong, was smiling happily away as if here on earth people were not about to return to a situation where they had to worry that illness or an accident could mean they lose their ancestral home.

The clerk I spoke to _seemed_ genuinely concerned that I would be without insurance. I let him continue to seem that way by staying out of his head, this was horrible enough. I agreed with him regarding all the reasons why I should have insurance. He didn't even know about my problems with serial killers, vampires, weres and witches. But there was no way I could afford it.

It had taken longer than I thought and was already dark by the time I was making my way back to where I'd parked. The temperature had dropped with the sun and I was glad I'd put a coat in the car. Judging by the state of my Merlotte's top it was decidedly 'nippy'. Even though I'd had the forethought to be in uniform already I was going to be late by the time I drove back from Shreveport. I'd warned Sam I might be but was still thinking of finding a payphone to call the bar. With the full moon tonight, Sam would be out and I didn't want Terry to worry. My flow of thought was interrupted as I spotted a familiar figure ahead of me.

He was walking with a woman who didn't know how to walk in her six inch heels. Or maybe she did and just wanted an excuse to hang onto him. I felt time slow for a moment as I registered the familiar brown hair. I saw the woman fall against him, then saw his arm go round her. She rested her head on his shoulder and he pulled her closer, his hand gripping her waist intimately.

My first instinct had been to run up and try to talk to him. To yell at him so he could apologise. I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been. First he gives me a hard time over Eric, even though he'd slept with far more people since we split up that I had, then he rips into me for helping Claude and even throws Sam in the mix despite knowing full well that nothing ever really happened between us. All the time he's still off feeding and fucking whenever he wants to.

I jaywalked across the street so I wouldn't have to follow them and made my way to my Malibu as quickly as possible. As I climbed into my car, slamming the door even harder than necessary, I started thinking. Of course he was free to see other people if he wanted, we weren't dating, but somehow I'd managed to start seeing Bill as a kind of proxy boyfriend. He was the person I did couple things with, movies and nights in, even though we weren't a couple. Seeing him with that woman, especially after the things he'd said to me last night, just went to show that whatever concessions and compromises I'd been willing to live by out of respect for his feelings, he wasn't prepared to do the same, despite indicating he was.

I pulled a little too aggressively out of the parking lot making the back of my car swing out and skid a little. Flooring the accelerator I made my car whine loudly in protest and several people looked at me from the sidewalk.

[~~~]

After seeing Bill with his 'dinner-date', I'd determinedly started that Viking romance after my Merlotte's shift. I was a few pages in when I realised how pathetic that was. He pisses me off and my response is to read a book he wouldn't approve of. Seriously Sookie. What I needed to consider was that I too should date. I'd somehow settled into an Eric, Bill or nobody mentality. Well Eric wasn't interested and Bill was clearly busy but that didn't mean I had to be alone. I needed to get out there, see what was available.

The next day, during the Saturday lunch shift, when Arlene mentioned that her new honey had a friend I'd like, I decided to say yes. You might think that her timing was fortuitous (my word of the day) but actually this was something she did at least once a fortnight. Even when I'd been dating Bill she'd persisted in suggesting men to me. I'd never said yes, even in the years before my introduction to vampires. My own attempts at dating had been bad enough without the added complication of it being a mutual acquaintance. Given this, I probably should have known to wait until _after_ she put down the pitcher she was holding before agreeing.

The Ladies Group from the Descendants of the Glorious Dead were not happy with their beer shower after the pitcher caught the edge of the table next to them and sprayed everywhere. They were building up to a real rant before I managed to come out with a: "You know my Gran used to say: 'What do you want? Egg in your beer?' I never knew where that came from, but I guess now you have beer in your eggs you can maybe tell me."

That made Maxine Fortenberry laugh, after which their angry expressions turned to pity, their table thumping to hand patting, and their complaints of 'what a terrible place this was' became reminiscences of 'what a wonderful woman Adele was'. Bless Gran, still able to settle a ruckus even from beyond the grave.

Sam winked at me as I carried their swimming leftovers to the kitchen after offering them some rice pudding. They would never order it due to their diets but were always happy to accept it for free (it seems if you don't pay for it, the calories don't count). Technically I should have checked with him before offering stuff 'on the house' but I knew Sam would be OK with that one.

Arlene was so excited that I had finally said yes to one of her match making attempts, and at the idea that I might finally be going on a date with someone alive, that she was on the phone before I'd finished cleaning up the mess. By the time I'd served the pudding she'd set the meeting up for that night. Sam seemed keen on the idea too and he told me I should leave before the end of my shift so I'd have time to get ready. Being the night after the full moon he'd be off early himself. I'd kept track since my brother changed, though I didn't know where he was or how to reach him.

When I indicated I didn't want to lose the money Sam offered to pay me for the full shift saying as it was quiet he didn't really need me but I was entitled to my full wages anyway. Arlene even gave me her tip from the Ladies Group since I'd helped calm them down even though technically they were her customers. They'd forgiven her spill since they'd gotten free dessert and tipped well as they always did. I knew from their heads they actually thought the whole thing made for a good story. They'd heard what had made her drop the pitcher in the first place so were leaving full of both pudding and gossip. That more than made up for a damp blouse to them.

I was still going to protest but Sam and Arlene's excited smiles were more than I could bear. I knew if I stayed they'd just be hassling me. I'd been offered another cleaning job starting next week so I was expecting some extra money from that. Looking from one to the other, I was quickly running out of objections. Eventually I gave in to their determined faces. It was immediately worth agreeing to the date, regardless of how it turned out, to see how pleased they were. I felt blessed to have people in my life that were made happy by the idea of my happiness.

There was another good reason to go on the date that night. If I didn't, I was sure I'd chicken out. Dating humans had always been disastrous for me (well dating vampires had been too, just in a different way). I was hoping this time it would be better. After all, I had better control of my telepathy and actually had a little dating experience now. Plus before, I'd dated as much because it felt like something I _should_ be doing – no matter how sceptical I was. This time I was was downright determined I _was_ going to do it.

* * *

* There is a real book called '_Taken by the Viking_', By Michelle Styles. I haven't read it but it does have a picture of a dark haired man on the cover as pictured on Amazon (on the actual book the girl is dark haired too and in my story the models are positioned differently).

A/N: So up next – Sookie's date. Hugs and kisses to you all xx


	12. When David Met Sookie

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**Hugs and kisses to you all, on with Sookie's Date :)**

* * *

**Chapter 12: When David Met Sookie.**

**Dating Do: It's an obvious one – Do date! Just because you know it will end in disaster that's no reason not to set yourself up for humiliation anyway.**

I gave myself a good talking to in the mirror after spilling water on my first outfit and having to change. There was no need to be this nervous. It was just a dinner-date. If it didn't work out I could leave, it wasn't like I was dating a vampire that could rip my throat out if I said the wrong thing. This was a human, and a friend of Arlene's. Damn it, I was doing this and it was going to be great!

I hung the now blotched pant-suit with the laundry to dry and smoothed down the dress I'd changed into. The weather was a little cool for it but I figured we'd be inside most of the time so it would be fine. I removed my lipstick and replaced it with one that went better with my new outfit.

"You are a grown-ass woman, you can go on a date and have a good time," I informed my mirror-self. Looking at the determined expression reflected back at me, I had to laugh at myself. My butterflies returned in earnest when I heard a car coming up the drive.

David seemed OK at first, he was certainly excited to meet me. He'd even driven all the way out to Bon Temps to pick me up despite the fact we were going out in Shreveport where he lived. I'd told Arlene to call him back and say I'd drive to him but she'd insisted a woman should be picked up from her door for a date. Since I didn't have his number I'd had to go along with it. He was a bit taller than me but not by much, with blonde hair and a ruddy school-boy face. He was wearing a suit which, while not top quality, was neatly pressed and looked good on him.

He looked very pleased to meet me. I quickly found out as I shook his hand that his enthusiasm was because he figured I was an exciting and daring person seeing as Arlene had told him I worked in a vampire bar. He was just getting over a steady relationship with a staid woman and wanted to walk on the wild side a bit. I withdrew my hand and slammed my shields into place with a tight grin.

He suggested a steak restaurant that had a good reputation but wasn't too expensive. It was a good choice and I hoped that even if we didn't hit it off romantically we'd at least have a nice meal and a pleasant evening. Having exhausted the 'how we know Arlene and her man' on the drive; we swapped the basics while we looked over the menus: school, family, work.

I downplayed my work at Fangtasia, explaining it was only a temp job that I was doing as a favour for a friend. It didn't seem to dim his excitement any. He hadn't met any vampires personally, he stage whispered over the table with the expression of someone saying something rude, but he'd seen them. Wasn't it amazing how much they look like regular people! What was he expecting? Horns?

While David ordered for us both, I amused myself by picturing Bill, Pam and Eric with horns for a moment, for some reason I couldn't get a picture of Pam with any that were not pink.

David was still thinking about vampires too – well sort of. Once the waiter had left with our order, he went on to tell me about how he and his ex had seen one when out late-night shopping. They'd been hunting for a birthday gift for her mother. This was followed by a detailed account of the following trip to said mother's, the surprise party, that was so much better than the party they'd gone to for his ex's best friend where someone had gotten drunk and thrown up on the dinner table, but the ex wasn't friends with that crowd any more after they'd fallen out regarding political differences. His ex was very true to her political convictions, she'd marched in the name of some cause or another and protested against something and something else –

I stopped listening and found myself eavesdropping on the woman at the next table who was planning how to get her date to finally agree to sex tonight while he was planning how he was going to tell her he thought they'd be better off as just friends. I heard a waitress bustling past our table worrying about dropping the plates she was carrying as her panties rode right up her backside and had to hide my smile behind my napkin. David was still talking about his ex and took the move to be shock at whatever he'd just said.

"I know, it's terrible isn't it," he said. I just nodded having no idea what he was talking about. At least the food was good.

After dinner, David wanted to go to a club I'd never heard of. Since I'd not really been paying any attention to him, I had already agreed when it registered what he'd said. Still it was too early to give up and go home, and seeing as all he'd done while we were eating was talk at great length about his ex, I decided a club might be a good idea. At least I wouldn't have to listen to him drone on about the time they went to New Orleans, the time they went to New York, the first time he met her mother … blah blah blah. I'd take music over that any day of the week and twice on Sundays. I loved to dance – maybe the date wasn't a success but that didn't mean the night had to be a loss.

I became less enthusiastic about this plan when we arrived at our next destination. The club was the kind that featured complete darkness lit only by rotating lights, music loud enough to be heard from down the block and a dress code that varied from lots of leather to very little of anything. It really wasn't my thing but I realised I should have expected a place like this with the way I knew David saw me.

I'd forgotten I was supposed to be the wild child after staying resolutely out of his head all evening, his thoughts weren't any more interesting than his conversation. The fact that I was wearing a floaty dress in a beautiful array of pastels rather than a chain-mail vest and knee-high pleather boots didn't seem to make any impact on his preconceived notions of the type of girl I was. There was boyish excitement on his beaming face as we walked towards the entrance.

Despite my scepticism, I was mildly impressed when David tipped the bouncer so we could get in past the line outside. He helped me off with my coat and checked it in, then we pushed through the doors to the main part of the club. We both just stood for a moment, allowing our eyes and ears to adjust. Fangtasia was a church bake-sale compared to this place. David then gave me an expectant and triumphant smile as if he'd just delivered a whole box of my favourite chocolates. I smiled back as best I could and yelled over the music that perhaps we should find a table – and order a drink.

The bodies throbbed and eased around the space with a synchronicity of movement that gave the impression of a large, undulating organism. There were a few pole dancers and screens showing more scantily-clad women writhing to music across most of the walls. David held my hand as he led the way around the edges of the throng, bopping his head out of time and grinning like a teenager that just got laid.

We got a couple of odd looks, probably because we really didn't fit with the general dress code, but most people were too busy grinding to the music to pay us too much attention. I felt like Baby when she first goes to the staff bar in Dirty Dancing. David was no Patrick Swayze though, or even a cute cousin of one. At least I wasn't carrying a watermelon – though from some of the looks I got, you'd think I was.

Circling the edge of what I assumed was the dance floor – though it didn't seem to be set aside as such but just lacking in tables, we managed to find a small round table with two tall stools beside it. I did my best to hop up gracefully with only moderate success. David snagged some drinks and I sipped at my gin and tonic while he chatted on about something, blissfully I could no longer hear him. I just smiled and nodded occasionally, though his gaze rarely made it up to my eyes anyway.

I didn't recognise any of the music but there was a nice strong beat that I found my body responding to anyway. Judging by the dazed look on David's face, the movement seemed to have the same effect as a swinging pocket watch, though I could see his lips still moving and caught the familiar shape of his ex's name more than once. I was relieved when a woman on roller blades with a tray full of shots came to interrupt us, distracting him for a moment. Even though I'm used to it, that kind of steady focus on the girls leaves me with a burning desire to adjust them.

I was trying to read the list of available shots in the random flashes of light when a freight train of an orgasm rolled over me making me grip the table in order to stay on my stool. The firework-like explosion made goosebumps break out all over my body. It took a second to realise what it was. I'd (luckily) never experienced someone else's release through my telepathy before, and it wasn't something I'd thought would happen in the middle of a crowded night club, hell I'd never considered it could happen at all. Unable to prevent it, I felt a throb of envy down below.

Without really thinking about what I was doing, I automatically ran my eyes and mind around the room looking for the source. There were a lot of people, dancing, walking about, talking in groups. Many couples were tightly wrapped around each other, rubbing together, but they were just dancing. I looked in a different direction.

Behind our table were a series of niches that, for the most part, hid their occupants from the brightest lights, allowing just enough illumination so you knew if they were vacant or not. In most of these couples sat with their heads together, holding hands under the table, sneaking kisses between sips of cocktails. My eyes finally found a dark corner where two shadows were completely wrapped around each other.

I couldn't believe they were having sex with all these people about. I glanced around, no one else seemed to have noticed anything but then it was dark and I probably wouldn't have either if it wasn't for my little quirk. Even so, I started to blush for them, and tried to strengthen my shields while unaccountably glancing in their direction again.

The revolving lights illuminated them for a brief flash every few beats giving the effect of a flick book with the pages turned too slowly. I could see her leg was hitched up around him, her hands clinging to his broad shoulders, knuckles white from the strength of her grip. His face was buried in her neck, rapture emanated from her posture, her face and her mind.

"SOOKIE."

The man-shadow seemed to stiffen and straighten slightly, oh, no, surely not.

"SOOKIE!"

I glanced back at my date a moment after the revolving lights flashed across a lifting crown of blonde hair.

"SORRY?" I yelled across the table.

"DO YOU WANT A SHOT?" David yelled back pointing to the roller-blade woman. The look she gave me told me she understood this was a bad date and that she strongly recommended a shot, though maybe she was just trying to sell the drinks. Besides she had no idea just how badly this date was going.

I nodded firmly. I don't drink much usually but when you've just experienced someone else's orgasm courtesy of your ex/boss/whatever, a shot is called for, in fact more than one. I waved a hand in a kind of 'bring it on' way and kept my eyes away from the alcove. The roller-woman started to lay out a selection of shots on our table. At least David had decided to stare at her cleavage for a while instead of mine, then again hers was more exposed than mine by quite a lot.

I made sure not to look in that direction but, 'accidentally' catching the thoughts of others near them, I knew the couple had swapped positions so that he was now facing out into the room with her straddling his lap. And I knew those blue blue eyes were now trained on me because I could feel them right down to my pink painted pinky toes.

I slammed back a shot with a speed that surprised even me, then followed with a second while David looked on amazed. I could tell, just by his face, he was worried he wouldn't keep up. But he was going to try. He took a deep breath and swallowed three shots in quick succession. He looked shocked and a little sick but was trying very hard to hide it. I smiled at him, holding in my laughter. The whole situation was so surreal, and the gin and tonic on top of the bottle of wine we'd sipped through during the boredom of dinner was going to my head.

I had an urge to lean over and say "Hey if you want to meet a vampire, my boss is over there fucking and feeding," just to see the look on my date's face but settled for smiling to myself as I imagined it instead. David started in on another story about his ex, and I felt my smile become fixed. After a second vicarious orgasm, during which my eyes were drawn against my will to the alcove again where Eric was still watching me even as his companion shook in his arms. I decided I had to move. Now I could see his face, the soft glow of his vampirism made him stand out like a beacon in the shadowy enclave and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes from his direction no matter how hard I tried.

"Come-on Davy boy, let's dance." I realised my words were slightly slurred but I slipped my purse strap over my head so it was in a secure diagonal across my chest and got to my feet anyway. David looked surprised. I'd probably interrupted him mid-sentence but I didn't care. I wasn't going to sit there any longer letting Eric prove to me over and over how much better his date was going than mine.

David stood also and smiled at me. We took a few steps away from the table and his arm came out to pull me against him with a sharp tug. I instantly regretted this. He'd decided I was even more of a party girl than he had originally thought, with tits like mine I had to be. In his head, I was a sure thing and he was looking forward to getting laid tonight. He was sure that I would let him do all the nasty, dirty things he fantasised about but had never dared ask his girlfriend to try. She was such a nice girl.

He was picturing several of those things as he grabbed my ass and started to rub against me. Ewwww. I tried to pull away but David just thought I was dancing and started to move in a circle without letting go. I felt myself sway with the blur of lights, his thoughts still screaming at me over the loud thump of the music. I wasn't going home with him so he could think what he liked but I really didn't want to hear it. A particularly kinky image jumped out at me graphically, as that sort usually did. I gave up trying to simply extract myself and shoved him away forcefully, once loose I bitch slapped him.

He looked shocked for a moment, then angry.

"What did you do that for? You crazy fucking whore!" He glared at me. A few people nearby stopped dancing to watch us. He was still radiating twisted sexual thoughts, they had moved into a much more kinky area, apparently my slap had flipped a few switches for him. What was left of my shields started to cave under the barrage of images, all seasoned with just how little he thought of me as a person. I felt angry tears sting my eyes.

The music and thoughts were hammering at my head making it hard to think of anything at all, I was determined not to allow a single tear, not even an angry one, show while he could see me. I started to duck around him so I could leave, but he stepped right in front of me. Several more people turned to watch and I felt like a spotlight was on us, though this part of the club was just as dark as everywhere else.

"What the fuck? I bought you dinner and drinks all night then you just slap me and walk out? What's your game?" Now I was really pissed, he might not know I'd read his mind but I'd offered to split the cost of everything with him and he wouldn't let me. Either way I wasn't for sale, not for any price, certainly not for a steak and few shots.

Steaming with anger, I turned on him, my finger in his face.

"You listen up pal, don't you dare …" my advance freaked him out and he flinched back a little. A couple of the people watching laughed and pink tinted his cheeks.

"Get the fuck away from me psycho-bitch, I was warned you were 'a little different'," he said scathingly, air quoting with his fingers. "What they should have said is that you're fucking nuts." He pushed me away from him, and, as the drinks had gone to my feet, I stumbled backwards and fell on my butt. David stormed off.

All around the laughing faces and bulging eyes of hideous clowns loomed in thudding reds and greens. I was blinded by a flash of white light as one guy took a photo on his phone. No one was concerned, they were all either sniggering or exciting their neighbour's ear. My dress was torn, the floor was sticky and a ring of people were staring at me. Even by _my_ standards this had to blow the top off the disastrous dates chart. Why did I set myself up for this crap? How many times did I have to hear it? I was crazy but, if I kept my mouth shut, good enough for a quick fuck. And _why_ did I still let it hurt me?

As I untangled my heel from the hem of my dress, a hand appeared before me. I was so grateful that at least one person was offering assistance rather than just staring and laughing that I grabbed it without thinking. I was on my feet before I could register that the hand was cooler than it should be. I gasped and looked up at Eric. We were very close together and I inhaled his familiar tang that rode roughshod over all the sweaty bodies in the room. He was smiling and his eyes were dancing. Bastard! He was enjoying this! Of course he was.

I pulled my hand sharply from his. Mindful of where it might have just been, I tried to wiped it on my dress which made his smile broaden. I forced out an ungrateful sounding 'thanks' and walked away clutching the scraps of my dignity. Ignoring the 'hey!'s of the people I bumped into, I shoved my way through to the doors and away from the raucous crowd.

As I hit the cool night air I staggered to a stop and realised several things; I was drunk, I had forgotten my coat, and I didn't have a way to get home. I looked up and down the street, there had to be a taxi around here somewhere. I didn't know this part of town and it didn't look like somewhere I wanted to be wandering alone for long.

I used eeny meeny miny mo to pick a direction and was just about to start walking down the block when I felt a coat fall over my shoulders and a large hand settle it in place. As the coat came into view I realised it was mine. My cranberry red one. I glanced behind me, not high enough to make eye-contact, just to confirm that once again Eric was there. He was putting his phone in his pocket. His other hand was still on my shoulder, his grip a little too hard to be comforting, it was more of a 'stay put' grasp.

I took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to sober up and calm myself down as I tried to think out what I was going to say. I was dizzy from the alcohol and suspected Eric's hold was stopping me from swaying. I'm not sure how long we stood there, his hand on my shoulder, me staring straight ahead, as I tried to gather my wits, but before I was able to think of anything to say, a taxi pulled up. Eric stepped forward and opened the door for me, ushering me in gently with a hand to my back.

As I settled myself, the door closed. I looked up. Eric wasn't in the cab.

"Bon Temps Miss?" asked the driver.

"Er … yes, please," I answered, confused. He pulled from the curb. I turned to look out the window back at the sidewalk outside the club. There was still a queue being watched over by the bouncers. There was no sign of Eric anywhere. Maybe he'd gone back to his date.

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A/N: Have a busy week coming up but will get more to you asap, xxx


	13. The Vampire Redemption

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**I'm a bad bad writer, I'm so sorry I haven't replied to reviews this week, it's all gone a bit crazy. I am sure you will all send big love and hugs to the amazing treewitch703 for her amazing help and support.**

**I know ****I**** seem like a dreadful tease and I don't mean to be, I forget sometimes that Sookie doesn't always know everything that is going on right away. Anyway, things ****_have_**** changed she just doesn't know how much yet.**

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**Chapter 13: The Vampire Redemption**

**Dating Don't: Don't expect a bunch of flowers to make up for every mistake, it's usually better not to call your date a whore in the first place.**

When the taxi pulled up at my house I started to dig in my purse for some money, hoping I had enough cash to cover it. I still had all the money I'd come out with but I'd never taken a taxi that far (in fact I couldn't remember ever taking a taxi anywhere) so I had no idea how much it was likely to cost. Keeping my eyes on my wallet I asked the driver how much I owed him.

"That's OK Miss, it's been paid for," he said smiling into the rear-view mirror at me when I looked up in shock.

"It has?"

"Yes Miss, your date has an account with us." I opened my mouth to argue that there was a mistake, that Eric wasn't picking up the tab, but the driver continued. "He made it _very_ clear we were not to let you pay." I could tell from his expression that this had not been a gentle suggestion.

"Oh," I hadn't expected that at all but I wasn't going to argue. If Eric had put his foot down on this, that foot had 200lbs of Viking vampire on top of it, even me and the driver together were not going to shift it. "Well, if you're sure." I blushed and put my wallet away.

"Nice to see a modern young man with some decent manners," the driver added approvingly. His eyes were crinkled into a kindly smile.

It took effort not to snort. The Viking wasn't exactly modern, and I don't think you could call him young either, hell he wasn't even really a man. I couldn't blame the driver for assuming he had been my date though, seeing how we were standing outside a club together before he put me in a taxi. And if he had been, it would have been a nice gesture for him to pay for my cab home that way. Well, it was a nice gesture even though he wasn't my date.

"Thank you," I said to the driver, getting out of the car.

I'd cracked the window during the drive and the cool wind on my face had sobered me up some but I could still feel the alcohol in my system. Once out the car I made sure I had a steady footing before letting go and closing the door behind me.

I just couldn't figure Eric out. He always seemed to be blowing hot and cold. He'd bought me a new coat but then declared he cared nothing for my feelings. He'd said he wanted to protect me but then said he wanted to kill me himself just so he wouldn't have to think about me. He'd rushed over when he thought Charles was going to do me in, but then I'd not heard a peep from him in weeks. He insisted that I work for him then ignored me when I was there.

Even just tonight: I didn't think he'd known I was there when he was feeding on the girl in the club, but then, once he did know, he'd enjoyed flaunting his sexcapades at me. He had helped me up when everyone else was laughing. However he'd definitely been enjoying my humiliation and laughing at me too. Then he'd gotten my coat and made sure I got a cab, which he'd even paid for. It didn't make sense to me. As I walked towards my house I stopped dead. Bill was waiting on my porch. Just what I needed!

"Eric called and asked me to check on you," he said walking forward and looking me over. "What happened?"

See what I mean – what the hell?! Why would Eric call Bill? And why did Bill look more pissed off than worried? Damn them both. The driver had waited at first, probably to see that I got inside OK, but when he saw my neighbour he must have thought Bill lived with me and that I was safe because he had taken off. His tires crunched in the gravel and sent some loose stones into the surrounding grass. I listened to him get further and further away, then set my jaw and tried to get to my house. Unfortunately, since I'd ignored him, Bill had planted himself in front of me.

"Sookie? You've been drinking and your dress is torn. What happened? Why were you with Eric? Where were you? Did he … you smell of a human … a man." I forced myself to focus on his face while wrapping my coat tightly around me. I'd managed to calm myself during the cab ride but my anger returned full force as I looked at his recriminating expression.

"Bill, back off, I had a date." He looked like I'd slapped him.

"You had a date?" His eyes went colder and little anger lines marked their edges.

"Oh don't look at me like that," I snapped, possibly too intoxicated to consider the wisdom of snapping at an angry vampire. "Yes I had a date, much like you did last night." Bill wiped his face blank too quickly to hide his shock. Taking advantage of his reaction, I cut around him and walked towards my porch steps.

He moved in front of me again just as I reached them.

"Who was your date?" There was something dangerous in his voice though it was as smooth and cool as always.

"No one you know." Bill's eyes were boring holes in me. "Some friend of Arlene's new guy," I said when it was clear he wasn't going to let it go. What did it matter? He seemed happy with that though. I took advantage again and dodged around him up the steps. Did he think I'd been on a date with Eric? I was getting my keys out as I climbed and nearly bumped into Bill who had moved again to block the top of the porch steps. He had his arms out so I couldn't get past him this time. Since I'd rescinded his invitation, if I made it inside the house he wouldn't be able to follow.

"That doesn't explain the state of your dress," he said, looking me over carefully again for any other evidence of what had happened. I remembered sitting on the sticky floor, a circle of mocking faces surrounding me. My temper flared and Bill almost flinched at the look I gave him.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know my date didn't go well. I fell in the club and ripped my dress. I'm fine by the way," I added, not that he'd asked.

"And Eric?" Despite his almost-flinch Bill wasn't giving up on what he really wanted to know.

"I'm sure Eric is just fine too," I said defiantly.

"He was there because of you?" He persisted, still drilling into me with his eyes. Just how many dates did he think I'd had tonight.

"No. Trust me, he was far too busy with his own date."

I heard my phone start to ring inside and pushed past Bill (who let me) saying automatically; "I suppose you'd better come in," as I rushed to answer it. Though I had to unlock the front door first, amazingly the phone was still ringing when I made it to the kitchen.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly.

"I do not believe what Eric is telling me so he told me to call you and ask. Did you really slap your date because he grabbed your ass?"

"No."

"I knew it."

"I slapped my date because he has a filthy mind and didn't view me as a lady."

"You slapped him?"

"Yes. He deserved it."

There was a long pause, then Pam started to laugh.

"I can't believe I missed it, in future you must bring all your dates to Fangtasia so I can watch." Bill growled and it seemed to echo down the phone but Pam ignored it. "What was he thinking about?" She asked excitedly.

"Nothing I'd care to repeat. But I appreciate your concern." Good old Pam, not worried I'd been mentally molested by my date but only that she'd missed my retaliation. Weirdly though, her reaction was making me feel better about the whole thing. I rested my hip against the counter and felt some of the tension drop from my shoulders.

"Would you like me to kill him?" She sounded sincere.

"Sweet of you to offer Pam, but not necessary. I'm fairly certain I won't be hearing from him again." Bill was standing in the kitchen doorway, following both sides of the conversation. He seemed mildly happier after I said that which irritated me.

"Well, I will see you on Wednesday and you can tell me all about it. I want to know exactly what he was thinking," said Pam sounding much more enthusiastic about this than I thought the story warranted. "For future reference, I will show you how to break someone's nose when hitting them." Perhaps it was just the thought of breaking bones that had her so excited. Self defence lessons from Pam would certainly be interesting though I'm not sure I'd want to spar with her, even just for practice.

"Er Pam," I said more quietly, turning slightly from Bill. I couldn't forget my manners no matter what else was going on.

"Yes?" I could tell she'd picked up on my change of tone.

"Tell Eric I said … thank you … for the cab, OK." Several beats of loaded silence went by.

"Oh yes, you can be sure I'll speak to him about that," she said and hung up. I suddenly suspected that Eric had been right there listening to the whole conversation, and also that he hadn't told her about getting me a cab home. Great. Slowly I replaced the receiver preparing myself for what I knew I'd see when I turned. Sure enough when I looked at him, Bill was back to glaring at me. I'd had more than my fill of judgemental stares for one night.

"Bill go home before I rescind your invitation again," I snapped leaning back against the counter with my arms folded so I wasn't even facing him. He went in a flash, slamming the front door hard enough to make the glass rattle.

[~~~]

At work the next day I was exhausted. Arlene had called in because the kids were sick so Holly and I had divied up her section to cover on top of our own, not what you need when you have a hangover. At first, I'd been concerned what David might have said about our date, that maybe Arlene was avoiding me, but Holly said there was something going around the school and that she was worried her son would catch it too.

The after-church crowd was noisy and manic, with a lot of families having decided to take a break from cooking this Sunday to eat out. Even with my headache I was glad of it. I might have been rushed off my feet but the atmosphere was positive and my tips were good.

Sam had looked like he was going to ask about my date when I first arrived but after correctly interpreting the expression on my face he kept his lips buttoned. I picked up curiosity from him a few times but glared at him each time and he didn't say a word, bless him. I knew Arlene wouldn't be so reticent when she next came in and tried to figure out what I would tell her. Of course that would depend on what she had already heard.

After getting home from my shift, I'd taken some left-overs out of the freezer and had just perched on the sofa with my dinner on an old TV tray when I heard the knock at the door. With a sigh at the way people always manage to time visits with when you've just sat down to eat, I put my tray to one side and answered the door.

A large collection of irises, tulips and some white cluster flowers I though were called laceflower, were thrust into my face as I opened it, making me jump.

"Sorry," said Bill from behind the petalled array as I pressed my hand to my chest to ward off the heart attack he'd nearly given me. I didn't take the flowers, folding my arms instead. "Peace offering?" He held them forward a bit further. I kept my hands tucked away.

"For what? Calling me a tramp? Accusing me of having sex with every Supe in Louisiana? Yelling at me without giving me chance to explain? Or perhaps getting angry with me for having a date even though you'd just been on one yourself? Or caring more that Eric had the audacity to help me out, rather than that I needed help in the first place after my date pushed me down? Because honestly Bill I think it's going to take more than a bunch of flowers. I am so mad at you right now." Throughout my litany I kept my voice practical – verging on cold. This wasn't an emotional tantrum, I'd slept on it and this was my cold-light-of-day reaction to his behaviour. At least I hoped that was what my tone conveyed.

Bill looked upset. He dropped his hands to his sides so the flowers drooped to the floor and I looked at them to avoid looking at him. The heads brushed against the wood of the porch and one of the tulips dropped a couple of dark pink petals. I found myself thinking they were too beautiful to look such a sorry sight. Glancing up at Bill, he looked so sad my heart softened slightly, though I didn't let it show on my face. We both stood there for a minute, Bill pleading with his eyes and me trying to stay firm. Conscious my dinner was getting cold I finally gave a little.

"Fine give me the flowers." I held out my hand. "But this doesn't mean I've forgiven you." Bill gave me the bouquet. I headed to the kitchen, taking in the scent of the pale blue irises while looking for a vase. Bill eventually followed me through after dawdling in the living room.

"Are you all right?" He asked eventually. I had my back to him arranging the flowers and crushing the stems. I glanced questioningly over my shoulder. "Your date. You weren't hurt?"

I sighed and turned back to my task.

"No I wasn't hurt. Just embarrassed. I should know better. Dating just doesn't work for me. I thought, now I have more control … anyway no harm no foul." It wasn't about trying to make him feel better, I was just telling the truth. I wasn't going to put myself through that again and there was no point pretending I was.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" I could feel him start to move closer but I stiffened and he stopped. If he thought this meant I'd be running back to him he could think again.

"Not really. Do you want to tell me about your date?" Bill was silent. I let the silence hang.

"I'm sorry," he said eventually. I didn't say anything. As I'd already pointed out, there were a whole bunch of things he had to apologise for. I was waiting to see which he was talking about. "That whole argument over the book was my fault. It was just seeing you like that took me off guard. I should have asked you about it rather than …"

"Essentially calling me a whore?"

"Sookie, no! I never meant … I was just angry. I didn't mean what I said. I know you would never do anything … untoward. Please forgive me." I stayed silent, not sure I was ready to do that. I was impressed that Bill was making the effort to apologise, it's not something that comes naturally to vampires, but I wasn't convinced it would stop it from happening again.

"Times have changed so much," he said sadly when it was clear I wasn't going to speak. "I forget sometimes how different things are now. I think it was the dress. I remember when women would wear dresses like that. Well not exactly the same, and usually done up," he added wryly. "But similar. Anyway, I have no right to tell you what you can and cannot do, and no right to get angry at you. I am truly sorry." I turned to face him so I could read his expression but I still didn't say anything. "We've talked about this before, not liking to see each other with other people, and things between us were going well."

I examined his face. He looked sincere but then vampires were masters at playing a role. The fact was I didn't feel I could trust Bill, and while I might forgive the other stuff, given time, I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the trust issue. But staying angry at him, hating him, it was hard work and with everything else I wasn't sure I had the energy.

"Yes things were going well," I finally said sadly. "I was really looking forward to Thursday night. I don't ask for much. I just like to have someone to talk to, to share my day with. But how can I do that with you if you are going to fly off the handle at every mention of another man? I refuse to be constantly walking on eggshells conversationally." Bill looked like he was going to say something but I held up my hand to stop him. I wasn't done. "I'm not dating anyone right now, and after last night it looks like it's going to stay that way. But I'm not sure you and I can be friends. I can't have a relationship, of any kind, where I'm worried all the time that talking to the wrong person will start a big argument. Sam is my boss, Claude is my … well I wouldn't call him a friend exactly, but I should be able to speak with him if I want too. I should be able to do him a favour in return for him bringing me home from the hospital without worrying you're going to give me the third degree or start calling me names." I didn't dare even mention Eric – which was exactly my point.

Bill had looked hopeful when I started to speak but he quickly closed himself down as my words sunk in. When I was finished he took a deep breath to compose himself, then gave me an understanding look.

"Yes you should. Of course I have no problem with you spending time with Claude or Sam, I should never have suggested otherwise. I'm really am sorry, please give me another chance." I could tell how hard he was trying, how much he wanted me to forgive him but I shook my head. It wasn't that simple, there just seemed to be too many issues between us.

"I can't be worried that you're going to sniff other men on me and get all mad. I have enough pressure on my interactions without worrying about your reactions too." The more I thought about it the less I could see ever making any kind of relationship between us work but I couldn't seem to push him away.

To give him his due, at least Bill did seem to be listening to me, weighing what I said. He thought carefully for a minute before he responded.

"What if we returned to our old agreement? I won't have sex with anyone else if you won't date anyone else. Just that, for a while, see how it goes?"

"That's not even the issue Bill." He frowned but I really needed time to think. I didn't want to string him along since I knew what he really wanted from this 'friendship' but I wasn't sure I was ready to call it quits either. Something about Bill still tugged at my heart, maybe he always would.

"Will you allow me to come and see you at work tomorrow at least?" His tone made it clear he'd been hoping for a better outcome from this visit.

"It's a public bar Bill. It's not up to me who can come in."

"I know, but I won't come if you don't want me to." He looked at me with his big brown eyes and I sighed.

"OK, come to the bar, but that's all I'm agreeing to tonight." He looked marginally happier. "Now go, I'm about to eat and I know you don't want to hang around for that. I'll see you tomorrow." He moved forward slowly and took my hand to kiss it.

"Tomorrow," he said and then he left.

Carrying the vase through to the living room, I tucked into my dinner before it could go completely cold. I looked at the flowers, they were beautiful. And it was nice that he'd remembered what I'd told him before about flowers and candy being appropriate gifts. It's not like I didn't know vampires were possessive. And he was right, we'd discussed before how neither of us liked to see the other with anyone else. Part of the reason I'd agreed to the date in the first place was because I'd been mad after seeing him with that woman. Maybe I didn't need to cut him out of my life completely. It's not like I was planning any more dates after last night.

It wasn't going to be simple though. Just because vampire nature was all 'she is mine' didn't mean I was going to go along with it. He would just have to learn to let me be my own woman if this was going to work. And I still wasn't sure what we would do about his side of things. After the thing with Lorena I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to really trust him again.

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**A/N: I promise this is not an all angst story but there is a little more bad for Sookie in the next few chapters (some good too) then her circumstan****ces are going to change again. Just to clarify one point, whatever Sookie might think, Eric was not enjoying her humiliation****, and he does have his reasons for everything he's done (that's not to say he's right)****.**


	14. A Vampire and a Gentleman

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**I know I said I'd try to post more quickly and I am working hard I promise.**

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**Chapter 14: A Vampire and a Gentleman.**

**Dating Do: Do be nice to her friends, it goes down so much better than trying to eat them. **

I dragged myself out of bed Monday morning almost wishing I hadn't found another cleaning job. I needed the money but I needed the sleep too. I still wasn't sleeping well even when I finally got to bed, though I hoped the extra income would help with that.

The people I was going to interview with today had actually contacted me. They had heard I was looking for work and wondered if I'd be interested. Their house was in Monroe but they were willing to give me gas money and the rate was better than either of the last two cleaning jobs. I wasn't looking forward to the drive or the miles it would put on my car but I had already turned my heat off to save on propane and was taking the quickest showers I could while still getting clean. I also hadn't finished paying off Tray. I had to take what I could get.

Which was lucky for them really because otherwise I'd have driven off about two seconds after I arrived. The Kravinoffs were not the sort of people I liked to work for and I was glad I'd been practising strengthening my shields with Bill. I locked them firmly in place, not only did I not want to mess up again, I was certain that none of the three people living in this house had any thoughts I'd want to hear.

Sergei Kravinoff looked like he was at least in his 60's, though I couldn't be sure, maybe he'd just had a rough life, because his missus, Sasha Kravinoff, looked not that much older than me and dressed like she was much younger. I wasn't sure I understood exactly how the other guy fit in but the badly drawn crosses tattooed on his hands did not endear him to me. He was introduced as Ned, and Mr Kravinoff called him his stepson, but there wasn't enough age difference between him and Sasha for him to be her son and judging by the way he ogled her cleavage they were not related – at least I hoped not. Though to be fair it was hard to avoid looking at it, there was a certain amount of suspense involved, wondering when, more than if, she would tumble out of her bra.

By the look on her face I'd say Sasha Kravinoff thought even less of me than I thought of her. After giving me a once over during our introduction she half-turned to her husband and said "You can deal with this can't you?" After giving me the fakest smile I've ever seen, and believe me I've seen plenty, she then clip-clopped her stilettos off to her bedroom to 'finish doing her face.' Apparently the half-inch of make-up she was already wearing was not enough.

Ned licked his lips and commented that he'd heard some people liked to clean naked in order to prevent damaging their clothes. His stepfather hit him hard up-side the head making him yelp. "I'm sorry about him. You know what young men are like, only one thing on their minds – of course," he turned to stare hard at Ned. "That doesn't mean they have to share those thoughts with the rest of us."

I reinforced my shields even further – Mr K was right that some thoughts really did not need to be shared, that was how I'd lost my last job.

I felt I should say something though when it looked like Ned was about to get another hard clout. I didn't much care for him but I didn't want him brain damaged over me either.

"It's fine Mr Kravinoff …"

"Call me Serge," he interrupted with a smile that exposed a desperate need for a dentist.

"Serge, I also work in a bar, I've heard plenty of that sort of thing before." After the briefest of smile flashes I looked with purpose around the room to indicate I was ready to just get on with the work, the sooner I started the sooner the time would be up and I could get out of there.

"Thats-a-girl, Bet you can put all those young bucks right in their place hey, a tough cookie like you." 'Serge' nodded approvingly, though it was not my character his eyes were busy appreciating. "Come on through and I'll show you where everything is."

And that pretty much summed up the family. Sasha tottered around, badly hiding how much she disliked me and often acting like I wasn't there. Ned mumbled lewd comments or just stared at my chest and Serge offered patronising encouragement whenever he could while apologising for the rudeness of his family. For the most part I could avoid Sasha and Serge but Ned seemed to have nothing better to do than to follow me around. I kept my shields firmly in place and my head down. It was only two hours at a time and only four days a week. With what they were paying it wouldn't be long until I could drop the extra job altogether if I could just stick it out for a few weeks. I was already looking forward to Friday, the first of the three whole days I wouldn't have to see them.

[***]

I was happy to get to Merlotte's that evening, anywhere was better than my new cleaning job. I was wondering how long I'd be able to stand working for the Kravinoff's no matter how much I needed the money to get back on top of my bills. After I'd gotten home I'd looked in the paper for any thing else but there was nothing I hadn't already put in for.

By the time I left for Merlotte's, it was pouring rain and even though I'd parked as close to the back door as I could, I was still soaking wet by the time I'd gotten inside. Arlene bustled up excitedly as I wrung the water from my ponytail, murmurs and laughter ghosted through from the bar behind her. Someone had put Garth Brooks on the juke box, it was one of the songs from his new album _Garth Brooks ReVamped. _ Since he'd been turned, he'd rewritten his classic hits with a vamp theme. The one playing was _Much Too Old (To Feel This Damn Young)_. Some songs, such as _Ain't Going Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up),_ hadn't needed much tweaking.

"So?" Arlene grinned at me expectantly.

"So what?" I asked wiping the rain from my face.

"What did you think of David?" She held her hand up to stop me when I opened my mouth to speak. "I know, the date didn't go exactly as planned, but he was probably just nervous. I don't know if he mentioned it but he just broke up with his girlfriend." She clearly had never had a conversation with him. "They were together for a really long time and you're the first date he's had since."

Arlene followed so close behind me as I dropped off my purse in Sam's office and headed into the bar that I walked into her twice when changing direction. I was trying to stall for time while I figured out what to say. Eventually I decided to find out what she'd heard first.

"What did he tell you?" It didn't sound like the truth whatever it was.

"He's really embarrassed actually, he's not a drinker usually, I guess that's why."

"Why what? What did he say?"

"I know it was probably not what you hoped for but it wasn't that bad right?" She gave me an encouraging nod and smile like you might to a nervous child about to try riding without training wheels for the first time. "I mean, Charlie says he's a great guy, salt of the earth usually."

"I'm sure," I mumbled clenching my jaw in frustration. "Arlene what did David say happened on our date?" I asked outright. I faced her and looked her in the eye to show I just wanted a simple straightforward answer.

"You can't expect it to be perfect first time. You shouldn't be too fussy, give people a chance," she was smiling and nodding again, even rubbing my upper arm. Trying to get a straight answer from Arlene could be like trying to sort bayou from rain at times. Rudely I dipped into her head.

David had said he'd had too much to drink, thought he might have been a bit forward and didn't remember the end of the evening, he was worried he'd made an idiot of himself. Arlene was thinking that what ever he'd done couldn't be as bad as dating a vampire so I should be fine with it. I skittered out of her head again quickly.

"He's not a bad guy Arlene," I said diplomatically. "But I think he's not ready to move on from his ex." David's version of events was much better than the truth and in my relief I may have been kinder than warranted. Arlene looked disappointed for a moment but then shrugged. Men came and went, there would always be more.

"Well, it just got worse for poor David." Arlene dropped straight into gossip mode now he was no longer my 'beau'. I could tell she had something she considered juicy. "After you left he says he must have decided to walk home and he was so drunk he fell down an open man-hole. He figures he just didn't see it. Apparently he was down there all night," she said confidingly as if she wasn't going to be telling this story to every person she saw for days.

"What? Was he hurt?" I hadn't liked the guy but that didn't mean I wanted him to break anything – well nothing major.

"No, he was just a bit bruised and very dirty. The police said it was probably a bunch of kids pulling a prank or something by removing the cover. They were surprised someone managed to get it up though, they said it's not easy to do." For all the worry in her voice I could still see Arlene loved having this story to tell.

"Kids wouldn't be able to lift one of those man-hole covers. They're really heavy, and you normally need a special tool to lift them," piped in Sam who had been listening from behind the bar.

"Luckily an early morning dog-walker heard him calling for help," continued Arlene, now including us both in her audience.

"Did he say why he didn't climb out? Don't those things have ladders in them?" I asked, suspicion forming in my mind.

"He doesn't really know. It seems he was too confused, he didn't even consider climbing out, said it just didn't occur to him, maybe because of the alcohol. The woman walking her dog called the police, they managed to get him out."

Sam was giving me a significant look. I felt my eyes widen before I could control my face. It was less the unexplained removal of a heavy piece of metal than the fact that David was sitting at the bottom of a drain all night and never thought to try to leave. That only made sense if you knew a certain someone could have influenced his brain not to consider it or something.

Sam hadn't missed my reaction. His eye's narrowed in response to mine widening.

"Well I'm glad he's OK," I said quickly to Arlene, tying on my apron. "But I don't think I'll be seeing him again, we're just not a good match."

"Oh well, honey," she rubbed my arm. "Got to kiss a few toads, right. Lord knows I did before I met Charlie." They'd only been going out about a month, but as usual she was convinced this was the one. She gave me the quick run-down on her tables and wandered off to get her coat now her shift was over. Sam looked at me significantly and hooked his chin towards his office.

"I take it Bill wasn't too happy you went on a date," he said when he'd closed the door. Having ended up fighting with Bill over kissing me that time, Sam was well aware of my ex's likely reactions to other men.

"He really wasn't," I admitted. "But I don't think he put David down the manhole."

"You don't?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, I think that was Eric," I mumbled, avoiding his eye. I had a feeling Sam wouldn't like that idea. Sure enough,

"Jesus Sookie, you're not with him again? It's not like before. He has his memory now. He's all mixed up in their politics, that's not a good place for you," I rolled my eyes but he went on in urgent tones, "Sookie it's the people on the edge that get hurt, the people connected to those involved, I don't want that for you," I held my hands up to stop Sam from going on, it wasn't really any of his business who I saw, though I knew he was just worried about me.

"There's nothing going on between us. He was in the club David took me to and he put me in a cab after David stormed out that's all. Plus it sounds exactly like the sort of thing Eric would do, leave someone down a hole all night glamoured into not getting himself out." I was trying to decide how I felt about it. Wrong as it seemed, it struck me as kind of a sweet gesture, perhaps I'd been around vampires too much. Sam was chewing this over too.

"It does sound like him, apart from the fact that the guy is still alive with all his limbs in working order. Where were you? And what really happened?" Sam knew my dating history too well to buy that David had just had too much to drink.

I told him all about my evening (leaving out a lot of the Eric details except that he was there and helped me get a cab home).

"Well," he said. We were both perched on the front of his desk, leaning into each other after I'd finished. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm tempted to shake Northman's hand next time I see him if he really did drop that guy down a drain." Sam looked like he was struggling with the concept of approving of something Eric had done. I shook my head at his expression and he nudged his shoulder into mine with a wry smile.

"I don't know why he went to the bother though, I guess it's because I'm working for him. He's real big on avenging wrongs to the vampires in his area, I guess he's the same with his staff." I regretted pondering this out loud when Sam gave me a look I didn't care for at all. I hopped up to end the discussion. "I'd better get to work, Holly will be fuming." I headed out to the bar before Sam could say anything but I did see him shaking his head as I left. I suspected he thought Eric had done it because he was jealous or something, like Bill, but I hadn't told Sam about Eric's date. Holly gave me a hard look as I bustled round to catch up after leaving my tables unattended. I wondered if Eric had told Pam about the man-hole. He hadn't told her about the taxi.

As he'd said he would, Bill came into Merlotte's that night. He looked even neater than usual and there was a faint hint of cologne about him. He headed straight for me when he arrived but rather than try to kiss my cheek as usual, he gently took my hand and kissed the back, looking up at me through his thick lashes as he did so. I raised my eyebrows at him, but didn't speak.

"You look beautiful today," he said softly, looking nowhere but my eyes. I pulled my hand back and directed him to a table with a firm look. I couldn't help the smile that twitched my lips when I turned to go get his blood. Sam had come out and relieved Terry for the evening. He looked questioningly at me as I approached the bar.

"He's on probation," I explained. I knew Sam wanted to know exactly what Bill was in trouble for but I left it at that and got back to work.

I could feel Bill watching me through the evening but it wasn't a weighty stare, it was appreciative and made me feel cared for. I didn't make it easy for him though and maintained my frosty coating when dealing with him. Unfortunately Mondays were not busy evenings and soon enough there was a lull during which I perched at the bar chatting to Sam. A moment after I'd hopped onto a stool Bill was beside me. He smiled at Sam.

"Good evening Sam, I hope you are well," he said. Bill was always polite to Sam but there was something a little nicer in his demeanour tonight. The word genial from my word a day calender popped to mind. Trust Bill to know I was a 'like me – like my friends' kind of gal.

Sam looked surprised at Bill's greeting but then smirked at me quickly before responding.

"Good evening Bill, can I get you anything?" Bill placed his empty bottle on the bar.

"An O positive please."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. I hadn't realised his bottle was empty. I couldn't believe I was sitting while one of my customers needed serving. I blushed deeply and went to get up. Bill placed a hand on my arm to tell me to stay.

"There is nothing to apologise for. I only just finished and since you were taking a break I decided to come up to the bar myself." Sam handed me a coke, kept his fingers under mine and made very deliberate eye-contact.

_'He downed half a bottle when you sat so he could come and speak with you,' _he thought at me. I ducked my head to hide my surprise. I got the odd thought from Sam but he didn't usually project at me like that. I didn't respond but spun on my stool to face the bar and glanced at Sam again to let him know I'd heard him as I sipped the cola.

"Are you being affected by the changes the IRS have made this year?" Bill asked Sam as if he had noticed nothing, though I knew he had. If nothing else he would have felt my surprise.

"It means a lot more paperwork, but I shouldn't be hit too hard. You?" Sam responded serving Bill his drink.

"The same. I've not owned the strip-mall long enough to pay the higher rates. Though I am certain the changes are designed to affect vampires. The charges go up so noticeably once a property has been owned beyond a certain length of time."

"Not very subtle was it," Sam acknowledged.

There had been several small changes sneaking through that, while ostensibly covering everyone, mostly affected vampires. This latest one made very little difference to properties owned for a regular human lifetime, but if it hadn't changed hands for longer than that the owner paid considerably more. The defence for it was that it was only the equivalent of inheritance tax, even though it was much higher. Sam had already told me that most vampires were coming up with ways to get around it. They were used to swapping the names on property every lifetime, they'd been doing it for centuries before they came out of the coffin. All the IRS had really achieved was a bunch more forms for everyone to fill out.

I got up and headed back to work while Bill and Sam continued to talk business matters. I could hear them laughing a few times as I did a circuit of my tables, cleaning the empty ones and checking the sauces. A little later a table of college kids home on spring break started giving Holly a hard time. They'd been calling her 'garçon' all night but as they got drunker they also got louder. Sam and I had already exchanged looks a couple of times, but we wouldn't step in unless Holly was really in trouble or indicated she needed help. We all had our signals.

As she turned with a full tray of empties one of the kids put his foot out, tripping her. Though we were much too far away to help, Sam and I both flinched towards the table, wincing in anticipation of the crash. It didn't come. I opened my eyes when I realised the room, rather than exploding in the chaos of smashing and laughter, had gone quiet. Bill had caught both Holly and the tray. His quick movement had also shocked the guys and held them in stunned freeze-frame.

"Are you all right?" Bill asked Holly quietly, steadying her first but releasing her quickly. After taking a second to compose herself, Holly took the tray back from him.

"I'm fine. Thank you Vampire Bill." She gave him a very genuine smile, the first she'd given him in a while. (Since her brush with the were-witches, Holly had been very reserved with Bill, not wanting to be either over-friendly or rude.)

As Holly moved away to pull herself together and deliver the empty plates, Bill turned to the table of guys. I dropped my shields and listened in to them. Both to make sure they were not going to start trouble and to see if Bill glamoured them. He didn't. He spoke calmly and reasonably about respect, throwing in a joke which meant they actually listened to him rather than dismissing him as 'some old dude', which was how they had seen him up to the point he flashed across the room revealing his vampirism. (They hadn't noticed what he was drinking, he'd been beneath their interest up until then.) Of course the fact that, no matter how courteous he was, he could rip out all their throats in a wink also helped with the new-found respect they had for him.

By the time Holly came back out they were happy to apologise, offered a big tip and continued to party at a much more subdued level, though they still laughed among themselves plenty. Holly and Sam both thanked Bill. He dismissed their gratitude as unnecessary and went back to his table where he opened a paper and sat reading.

Sam gave me a look. I looked at Bill. I loved that he had helped Holly, that he hadn't glamoured or deliberately scared the guys, that he was understated about the whole thing. But some flowers and a kind gesture to one of the girls I work with still wasn't enough to make up for his behaviour. Even so, perhaps it was enough to earn him a less frosty reception. I went to his table.

"That was good of you Bill, to help out Holly like that."

"You have told me many times about how hard doing this job can be, especially when customers get … carried away. It has given me an appreciation of all wait staff that I didn't have before." He smiled at me. We both knew he was trying too hard, but I appreciated the effort. It was nice to think that someone thought I was worth it.

We both smiled and I cautiously figured _maybe_ we could be friends again.

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Next chapter over the weekend or Monday, then hopefully two more next week, thanks for reading xx


	15. Liplock Stockroom & Two Smoking Barrels

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx.**

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**Chapter 15: Lip-lock, Stockroom and Two Smoking Barrels **

**Dating Don't: There are several possible don'ts here but I haven't the heart to advocate them – fuck it, I say do! Even though you perhaps shouldn't. **

Bill left before my shift finished, once again kissing my hand as he said goodbye. He'd given me a good tip that wasn't too much. He was being so careful, it felt like he was putting all his time and energy into making up with me. I don't know a girl that wouldn't be flattered by that kind of attention. But what was going to happen if I did give in? If I forgave him? How long would it be before something else I did, or someone else I spoke to, upset him and he yelled at me again.

I'd said as much to Sam as we cleaned up at the end of the night.

"Much as I hate to admit it, Bill does seem sincere in wanting to make amends for whatever he did. Of course I could judge better if I actually knew what he'd done. You still not going to tell me?" I was surprised, usually Sam loved any excuse to warn me off Bill. Shifting a cue out of the way, I hoisted myself up to sit on the pool table, my butt nudged a couple of un-potted balls and they click-clacked against each other as they rolled away. Despite my worries I felt good for the moment. Sam had always been a great source of advice, until I started dating Bill, it looked like we were finally getting back to our old relationship. It was almost worth the troubles to know I had someone to talk them through with.

"It was a whole bunch of stuff really. It sometimes feels like he wants me to just stay in my house and interact with no one but him." I rubbed at a chalk smudge on the edge of the table with my thumb.

"He's upset about you and Eric?" Sam looked like he understood this, and if it were just Eric I might be more understanding myself. Though I was starting to suspect that Sam's new-found sympathy for Bill was less that he approved of that vampire than that he simply preferred him to the other one.

"Eric, Claude, _you_, pretty much any guy I talk to. I'm surprised he hasn't asked me to stop praying to God. Though of course he's still allowed to meet women for …" I threw my hands in the air in a 'whatever' gesture, "you know." Blushing a bit I looked away, spinning a loose ball into a pocket.

"He's a vampire Sookie, what do you expect?" The issue had always been Sam's major point in why I should stay away from them.

"It's the double standards Sam, he's allowed to do whatever he wants, because of his 'appetites' but I'm not even supposed to help out a friend," I insisted, then added more quietly, "or let a friend help me."

"I see your problem." The way Sam said it made me think he was talking about something other than what I'd said.

I cocked my head at him and narrowed my eyes. "Well," he said briskly, avoiding my eye while grabbing the waste basket that stood in the corner. "I think you have a point to expect being accepted for who you are. But if you are going to do that you need to accept who he is as well." He gave me a side glance to see how I took this.

"What do you mean? That I should cut all other male friends out of my life, let him claim me like a possession, just because it's his vampire nature?" I knew vampires often thought this way but I didn't expect it from Sam.

"Not at all. Only that compromise should work from both sides." He was very deliberately avoiding my eye now. "And that, well you were feeling unsettled by not knowing where you guys stand, it's possible that that's what's been frustrating him as well." He looked at me with a serious sadness. "A guy might not mind so much, that he's not the only guy in your life, if he could be sure he was the only _special_ guy in your life," he said quietly. He scooted off pretty quick with the trash at this point as if expecting me to shout at him. There wasn't much chance of that though, beyond my dropped jaw I was too shocked to move.

[~~~]

By Wednesday I had already planned to quit the Kravinoff gig as soon as I got paid. I had hoped I'd be able to stick it out until I could get my propane tank filled. Once that, Tray, and my overdraft were cleared I could drop the extra work completely. The Kravinoffs made that impossible though. On Tuesday Ned referred to me as Sooka, I was ready to punch him. Serge had tried to smooth things over by suggesting Ned had just made a mistake with my name. But though I might not speak Russian, I had read A Clockwork Orange after Jason had gone on and on about the film and I knew full well that Sooka was the anglicised version of the Russian súka, meaning bitch or whore.

Serge had convinced me to stay by telling Ned to go work in the garage out of the way and then offering me a bonus for putting up with him this far. I still wouldn't be back next week but I thought I'd get enough this week to make my house and car insurance payments (with my history I couldn't risk not being covered), then struggle through. Especially since I'd decided that if the Kravinoffs could pay me gas money then Eric could too. I was going to speak to him at the end of my Fangtasia shift. Then, just before I'd been about to leave, Sasha had spilt her cup of coffee all over the side and floor. As I was on my knees moping up the spill she stood over me and said:

"Well I guess that's OK for now, seeing as you have to go soon, but tomorrow could you wash it properly?" Then clicked off without waiting for a response. I was just busy trying to get all the coffee wiped up before …

"While you're down there," Ned arrived.

So I'd started my Wednesday by scrubbing their kitchen floor till it shone, then doing it again after Sasha traipsed mud all over it. I'd never seen her with so much as a damp shoe on before but suddenly she'd needed to be down the yard for something and returned leaving a trail of mud across the clean floor. After some stern words from Serge (from what I could see, though I couldn't hear them), she returned and apologised – badly, but I still had to scrub the floor again. They didn't have a mop, just a bucket and brush. Serge had said his mother swore the goat would eat the wolf before she'd accept any other method. Even now that she'd been gone fifteen years he didn't dare disobey her. Ned had initially sat at the kitchen table hoping to watch as I worked on all fours but I'd insisted he leave and Serge had backed me up.

By the time I'd finished, my back was killing me, my nails were more trashed than usual and my temper stretched to breaking point. As soon as they paid me I'd be telling them a few home truths. I wouldn't usually wait but I'd learned my lesson with Jed. Before I could do anything else, Serge wandered in and smiled apologetically at the clean floor.

"Great job, you've a real knack for this sort of work. I don't suppose you know how to clean a shotgun do you? Never really mastered it myself and this one needs doing after I was teaching Ned how to fire it yesterday." He held out the gun to me as I looked up. There was something threatening about the sight of Sergei Kravinoff holding a gun and I felt my heart skip a beat. But he was smiling like always.

I did a half-assed job on the gun, despite Jason's teachings. Just after I started Ned had wandered in shirtless and spent some time unsubtly flashing his tattooed torso at me while flexing some overly meaty muscles. I didn't look too carefully, despite being buff Ned's body did nothing but repulse me. I did notice he had a dagger that started on one shoulder and finished on the other as if the blade went right through his neck. Why would anyone want something like that on them? Like the crosses on his fingers that I'd noticed the first day, it was blue in colour and blurred looking, as if it had been drawn on in pen and then smudged a bit.

By the time I was running the barrel-cleaning rod in and out he'd stopped stroking his arms and chest and was stroking himself lower down. I was about to stand up and smack him with the gun barrel when Serge came in and chased him off with a hard kick. Unfortunately, Serge then wrapped his arms about me in an apologetic hug. I got out of there as quick as I could, already planning ways I could get Serge to pay me without doing another shift.

As I drove home feeling desperate for a shower, I continued to ruminate on what Sam had said Monday night, something I'd been doing a lot of since then. I wasn't sure I liked what my boss had been implying but I had been more friendly to Bill when he came over the next night, inviting him in and chatting for a while. At the end of his visit, though I'd made it clear he _wasn't_ kissing my cheek, he'd lingered over kissing my hand and I'd let him.

Even though there was nothing romantic going on between Eric and me, (sure he'd been good after my dating disaster but other than that he'd been quite distant) I knew I wouldn't enjoy having to be party to Bill spending a lot of time with Selah or (if I hadn't staked her) Lorena. I couldn't avoid being around Eric because of working at Fangtasia but maybe if I could find a way to reassure Bill that the Sheriff wasn't interested in me that way any more he might settle down about it all.

[***]

"Are you sure you do not want me to kill him?" Pam asked when I finished telling her about my date that night. We were stocking the shelves behind the bar. Well _I_ was filling the shelves, Pam was mostly watching and occasionally twisting a bottle so it was more aligned. Eric was sitting at a table nearby with his laptop, pretending to ignore us. I knew he was pretending because his lips kept twitching as I was telling Pam what happened. (Once again I left out the part regarding Eric and his date – though I guessed he was filling in those blanks himself as he shifted to cross his legs at that point.) Besides, he usually worked in his office. There was no need for him to be out in the bar at all, it wasn't even open yet.

"You don't need to kill him, it seems karma took care of things." I glanced towards Eric and the slight smirk on his face confirmed my theory.

"Really?" Pam hadn't missed anything of course. "And what exactly did _karma _do?"

"Apparently David fell down an open man-hole on his way home and was stuck in there all night."

"Ooh," Pam was delighted and smiled wickedly. "Well isn't karma a _bitch_." I wasn't certain but I felt she was getting at Eric, maybe for not doing something more violent or permanent. I was glad that was all he'd done though, and grateful he'd done something at all, so I defended him.

"It does seem fitting. David's mind was in the sewer so the rest of him joined it," I reflected.

Pam looked impressed. "Hmm, you may be right."

"Oh dang!" exclaimed Ginger coming out from the back. "Can you believe I've chipped a nail already." She stopped as she spotted Eric sat in the bar. It took longer than I thought necessary for her to move again but when she did, she put her fist to the opposite shoulder and bowed. "Master," she said. "Can I get you _anything_?"

"I'm going to my office," Eric told Pam ignoring Ginger.

It didn't take long after the doors opened before we were busy serving drinks, wiping down tables, and running the ass-pinch gauntlet. Fangtasia was doing good business with a constant queue of humans outside the door and a variety of vampires always present for them to look at and/or flirt with when they got in.

I was about half way through my shift when I was distracted by the sight of Eric bending over a table to sign some paperwork Pam had handed him. His award-worthy butt seemed to have its own magnetic field that I could feel from across the room.

I flashed back to my spare room, the first time I saw it properly, my thoughts skipped quickly to my bedroom, the memoryless Eric sprawled naked in my bed, my hands stroking that delectable derrière. I felt a warm tightening around my stomach as the memories became more sweaty and gasping. The magic he could perform with just a finger, or his tongue. And his fangs! His fangs sinking into me as he…

I felt eyes on me. My gaze snapped up from his butt to see Eric's arched eyebrow. I spun away quickly, the blood that had been rushing to my hootchie making an abrupt u-turn straight up to my face. Almost tripping in my haste, I moved to wipe the table next to me, even though I'd just done it.

No one else had noticed of course, ogling Eric's butt was more common than breathing in Fangtasia, literally, I'd even caught Pam at it a couple of times. But Eric would have felt my lusty thoughts as well, so I couldn't get away with saying it was absent mindedness or whatever else you were supposed to say when you were caught fantasising about pinning your boss to your bed and bouncing on him like a pogo stick.

Predictably Pam appeared beside me in the next moment. I tried to ignore her as I scrubbed needlessly at the clean table.

"Everything OK Sookie?" she asked in a knowing voice.

"Of course," I squeaked and cleared my throat, still wiping. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You look a little flustered." I gave up on the table and looked over my area, avoiding Eric's direction.

"I'm just a bit warm, that's all. I'm due my break, I think I'll go get a bottle of water." I risked a glance at her, her eyes were laughing.

"Yes cooling down is clearly exactly what you need," she grinned at me and disappeared into Eric's office.

I glanced behind me. Eric was back to lounging at his table looking bored and beautiful, playing with his phone and ignoring the fangbanger that was edging towards him. I swallowed and closed my eyes, conjuring up horrible images (fortunately I had a whole host of them to choose from) to chase away any further lusty thoughts. Then, pulling myself together, I headed into the back room to get a water to combat my now very dry throat.

The trouble was, with all the brooding I'd been doing about how Eric didn't seem interested in me any more, I'd also sparked those memories of when he had been. There is no point mooning after a vampire that doesn't seem to exist any more, I told myself firmly, the real Eric has moved on. Sure he'd helped me out and treated my rude date to a little Karmic boot, but I shouldn't read too much into that. Eric wasn't exactly shy about his wants, if he was still interested he'd have made that clear. He was good about taking care of his employees, that's all.

Shaking off any more pointless fantasies, I sat on an upturned beer crate and rested my head back against the wall with my eyes closed, allowing my shields to relax slightly for a moment. The babble of minds from the bar got a bit louder but there were so many they all blended together as an indistinctive hum. I just focused on breathing and enjoyed a moment of not blocking so hard. After a few minutes the drone of thoughts from the bar started getting louder and I knew I'd have to refortify my shields before it became overwhelming. I felt a void very close to me and even without looking I knew it was Eric. He seemed to have his own flavour of energy, different from other vampires. I kept my eyes closed and felt him come even closer.

He was so near to me my skin tingled. I could feel my heart rate speed up and knew he could hear it. I didn't dare open my eyes. He was looking at me, I could picture that steadfast gaze, I could feel the weight of it. Why didn't he speak? Did he want something? Maybe he wondered why I wasn't out working in the bar. I was entitled to my break. In fact with my disability it was completely necessary if I didn't want to go mad.

I felt soft lips press against mine. Glorious silence blanketed me. My scalp tightened pleasantly and I opened my mouth slightly, savouring the moment. His tongue brushed my lips and mine slipped out to greet it. The contact was tentative but electric as the pressure of his lips lessened slightly drawing me forward. Currents coursed through my body. His lips pressed again, more firmly, and my head came away from the wall to meet him. His fingers brushed over my hips and waist while mine sneaked up his arms seeking his hair. I opened my mouth further as his tongue sought entrance.

My hands were tangled in his soft golden crown, his firm grip pressed my body and head against his. Our lips moved against each other again and again, the urgency of the movement building as time itself ceased to have meaning. My heart was pounding, throbbing my blood around my body, a need overtook everything else. The feel of him, the taste of him, my whole being was thrilling with pleasure.

He pulled away sharply and my eyes flew open to see him looking towards the door. Then he was gone.

I looked at the empty space that had held Eric but now contained only my hands and a strand of Eric's hair wrapped around one of my fingers. Lowering my arms, I was still reeling as Ginger walked in. She stopped dead and looked at me. I was sure I looked a state.

"Hey darlin' you OK?" she looked concerned. "You didn't get groped by that creep at the end of the bar too did you? You know he tried to tell me he was a vampire. As if a vampire would have hot sweaty hands." Her mind was suddenly full of Eric's cool and talented hands removing her clothes in his office. I had to get out of there. The last place I wanted to go was back to the bar before I'd pulled myself together but I couldn't stay in here with Ginger remembering Eric bending her over his desk.

"Ladies," I blurted suddenly. Ginger stopped whatever she'd gone on to say about Fangtasia's resident perv (the human one).

"Sorry sweetie?"

"The ladies, I need to go before my break ends. Excuse me. Back in a bit."

"Sure thing hon'." I fled to the facilities and locked myself in a stall.

What the hell had just happened? Why had he kissed me? Why had I kissed him? Well OK, I knew the answer to the last one and if you'd ever been kissed by Eric you would too. But I couldn't let my guard down like that. My Eric was gone and this Eric had made it perfectly clear that he wasn't interested. Which brings me back to my original questions. What the hell had just happened? And why had he kissed me? Was he just horny and I was there? Did he hope to bend me over his desk like he had Ginger? (I ignored the stomach tightening thrill at that thought.) Was this something he did with the closest member of staff whenever the mood took him? But then he mostly seemed to avoid the waitresses, at least whenever I'd been there.

And the _way_ he'd kissed me. The slow gentle start, the build up, the tension through my body that seemed to surge to my lips, the electricity that coursed through me. _Man_ that man could kiss. I felt myself getting weak kneed just at the memory of it. The lid was down on the toilet so I could sit. I brushed my fingers over my lips, they felt a little swollen. I could still taste him on my tongue, feel his thick rich hair entangled through my fingers, one large hand pushed into the small of my back while the other cupped my head, holding me against his cool firm …

KNOCK KNOCK

I jumped out of my reminiscence.

"Just a minute," I called, I sounded breathless. There was a void the other side of the door. Only one person it was likely to be. I shook myself, flushed the toilet for effect, and slid back the lock. "Hey Pam, I was just about to come back out," I said as casually as I could.

"Go home," she said firmly.

"What?"

"You are in no fit state to continue working. Go home." Her eyes had an intensity I usually only saw when she was preparing to shop or fight. Was she angry with me?

"Pam I'm …" She gave me a look and I realised. This order wasn't from her. "Of course. I'll get my stuff." I brushed past her to the stock room and opened my locker with shaking hands. I threw my bag over my shoulder and my coat over my arm. As I turned for the door I saw her leaning against the wall watching me with that same intensity.

"See you," she said. I couldn't figure out her expression. Was it searching? Analytical maybe?

What did she think had happened? What did Eric's orders mean? Was I being fired? Or just sent home for tonight? What did any of it mean? Perhaps he had just grabbed me in the moment and regretted it now, so didn't want me about. Or maybe he'd only done it to prove he could and now felt he'd made his point. I blushed as I considered this scenario, at how I'd responded.

I practically fled from the building, jumped in my car and sped from the lot. What was left of my shields collapsed and I was glad when I hit the Bon Temps road which never had many cars on it. I turned the volume on the radio right up to try to drown out my own thoughts which were yammering incoherently.

Passing the turn to Bill's I realised I had another worry to add to my already addled mind. As soon as I got in my house I went straight to my bathroom and turned on the shower. Stripping the black gown from my body, I stuck my hand in and felt the water turn warm as I heard the knock on my front door. Ignoring it, I stepped under the flowing stream and sought sanity.

Unfortunately my shower was not the best place to try to _not_ think about Eric … and the way his cool touch could light fires in me … the way his … urgh! I forced my eyes open and directed my mind to recall how Gran used to make Sunday lunches, focusing on the details of her colourful apron, the way she peeled potatoes, the smells of warming food and her soft familiar perfume.

After twenty minutes I was calm. I stepped out and brushed my teeth. Donning my nightshirt and robe, I was walking to the kitchen to get some water when there was another knock at my door. I sighed and went to face Bill.

I shivered in my robe as a gust of wind swept in when I opened the door. Bill was the other side of the screen and his eyes skipped over the room behind me before settling on my face. I held the door open with my hip and tugged my robe more tightly around me.

"You're home early," he said looking me over carefully.

"I wasn't feeling well, Pam said I should go." This was the truth, well sort of. I'd only towel dried my hair and the wind was making the remaining moisture chill my head but I didn't want to invite him in so I remained in the doorway trying not to shiver.

"Are you ill?" His surprise was to be expected, I was almost never sick.

"No," my stomach rumbled. I realised I hadn't eaten since a quick sandwich at lunch time. I tried to think what I had in the way of food. My pantry was pretty bare at the moment. Bill looked concerned. "I'm just tired. Worrying about Jason, working a few extra shifts, a good nights sleep and I'll be fine, you'll see." I tried to put some perk into my voice but wasn't too successful.

"Did something happen?" I knew Bill could still feel my emotions but I didn't know if there was a distance limit or how the fact that I'd had a lot of Eric's blood in Jackson and none of Bill's for a long time made any difference to how much he could feel.

"Just the usual. Horny fang-bangers, too many voices in my head." So OK, I was the horny fang-banger and the voices in my head were all mine, but no need to over share. I wasn't really sure where things stood with me and Bill at the moment.

My stomach growled again.

"Do you want me to go get some food for you?" This was a big offer from Bill and I appreciated that he was still trying hard to make up after our falling out but I couldn't cope with any more confusing vampire related emotions tonight, I was already on overload.

"Don't bother. I'm going straight to bed. I'm fine Bill, really. Thanks for checking on me." I put as much sincerity into my voice as I could. It was good of him to come over but I couldn't deal with him just now and wished he hadn't.

"You'll call me if you need anything?" I could see he wanted to touch me but neither of us had opened the screen door and it was too late to do so now.

"Of course, thank you. 'Night." I was already shutting him out as I finished my sentence.

"Good night Sookie." He wasn't happy I was sending him off but he gave me a small bow and left.

I put on some water and stuck my nose in the pantry. I didn't have the inspiration to try and cobble together a meal from the remaining ingredients in the house so instead I grabbed the last two pop-tarts out of a box Jason had left and stuck them in the toaster. After wolfing them down I made some hot tea and climbed into bed. I threw aside my romance novel and grabbed a thriller instead, determined to focus on anything other than the mess that is my life. As I snuggled down under the quilt I realised I'd lost half a night of tips. I'd have to make sure I got paid by the Kravinoffs if I wanted to make my insurance payments on time.

[~~~]

I'd eventually fallen into a fitful sleep with dreams of being cold and hungry while Eric watched from the shadows, his face as inscrutable as ever. Come morning I felt more tired than when I'd gone to sleep. _No rest for the wicked,_ I thought to myself as I dragged my ass from my bed to my bathroom, forgoing my usual trip to the kitchen to start coffee. After my long shower the night before I didn't really want to use more water and energy on another one. My propane tank was almost empty. I'd postponed the delivery when I'd first paid Jason's bail and never rearranged it.

I settled for a quick rinse. I'd shower after I'd been to the Kravinoff's, being around them would have made me feel dirty even if I wasn't cleaning. I decided, after my dream, that I'd get myself through this last shift somehow, get the money, then never go within a ten mile radius of the family ever again if I could help it. My hair had still been wet when I'd gone to bed so it wouldn't style properly but I didn't have time to use my straighteners. Instead I pulled it into a tight ponytail which I braided to stop it sticking out every which way. It still didn't look as tidy as I would like but it didn't look witchy which was the best I could hope for.

I got my purse together and headed for the door. I opened it only to face two gun barrels and the two uniformed cops holding them, one had just raised his hand to knock. They both jumped back as the door swung inwards. Steadying their guns to point at my head through the screen they yelled.

"Hands in the air, now." I dropped my purse and did as they said.

* * *

A/N: Still got a bit of work to do on the next chapter, but will get it too you as soon as I can. xx


	16. Fear and Loathing in Monroe

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**I didn't feel I could post this chapter today without mentioning the terrible events in Manchester yesterday. My thoughts are with the families and colleagues of the two policewomen who lost ****their**** lives.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Fear and Loathing in Monroe**

**Dating Do: Do hang in there, no matter how bad things seem there's bound to be someone worse off than you – such as the guy with half a head.**

You wouldn't think, after all the things I had been through, that having a calm stone-eyed policeman point a gun at me would have me in a cold sweat. You wouldn't think, having been knocked around by Maenads, vampires, weres and zelots, that being handcuffed would have my heart pounding, making the blood rush in my ears until I could barely make out any other sound. You wouldn't think, having been strangled, beaten, shot, bitten, poisoned and staked, that being arrested would have fear and panic gripping me so tightly that I could barely breathe. But that was what had happened.

The police that had shown up at my house had an arrest warrant with my name on it. I'd been stuttering in shock as they handcuffed me and recited the lines that were overly familiar from every film and cop show I'd ever seen. I'd tried to say there must be a mistake but the only thing they'd been interested in hearing from me was that I understood my rights. Before I'd even grasped what was happening I was being locked in the back of the car and we were on the move.

We were half way to Monroe before I was able to focus enough to try to make sense of the thoughts coming from the cops and figure out what was happening. It hadn't been a great idea. The cop riding shotgun was mostly thinking what scum I was and various other nasty things about me so I moved on from him quickly. The driver was nicer, at least, he wasn't as hateful as the other cop, but he was just as certain that they had arrested the right person. He was wondering why a sweet southern girl like me would murder someone in cold blood. I don't know if my blood had been cold at the time I'd pulled the trigger on Debbie Pelt but it certainly ran cold when I got the first flash of pictures from the cop's mind.

There was anger, sadness and sickened horror, along with the graphic images he wanted to forget but couldn't; a crime scene, a blood filled alley, a body with its head blasted off, not to mention his memory of the smell, the smell of trash overwhelmed by the smell of death. That smell is more than just the scent of gunpowder mixed with blood, it's both of them plus something extra, the smell of death by murder. Like the theme from a spooky movie, or that line the killer delivers, the memory alone of that smell is enough to make the hairs on your neck stand up. I'd shuddered and flinched from the thoughts and the memories they invoked. I'd had to pull out of his head and put up my shields while trying to fight down the nausea before I threw up all over the back of the car.

Once I'd settled my stomach a bit, I had actually calmed down some. From what I'd seen of the body, nothing about it looked familiar to me, except unfortunately it wasn't the first I'd seen. Plus I'd picked up that the arrest was based on a fingerprint match. It was a pain in the ass but would probably turn out to be some stupid computer error like the time the hospital sent me a letter telling me it was time for my prostate exam. After all I'd never been arrested before so whoever's fingerprints they had matched to whatever it was that had prints on it, had to be someone else's. Once I reflected on that, I hadn't been too worried. It would get straightened out as soon as we got to the station.

Yet here I was. There is something very final about the clang that resounds when a cell door is closed and you're on the wrong side of it. The panic smudged blur that was the last few hours began to come into focus as I slumped down on the bunk and waited, it wasn't like there was much else I could do right now.

Of course I still might have kicked up a fuss in the car, but for two reasons I didn't. One, I was actually relieved not to have to go to the Kravinoff's. I figured I could pop over there later, explain the mix up, get my money and quit without actually having to do another shift. Secondly, the passenger cop was really pissed off and would have been happy to throw some other charges at me, such as resisting arrest or whatever, so I figured I'd sit quiet, let them figure out their mistake, then take the high road as I graciously accepted their extensive apologies and ride home. Maybe I could even get them to run me by the Kravinoff's on the way to save me a trip, since I'd been put out an' all.

I could picture it: They'd apologise for the error. I'd say it was OK, these things happen, I hope they catch the murderer, that sort of thing. They'd offer me a lift back. That nice cop who didn't think I could have done it would say how he'd known it must be some kind of mix-up. The other one would blush and look away, not wanting to admit the awful things he'd been thinking. His embarrassment would be kind of endearing and I'd take more pity on him than he had on me and say nothing.

That had been at the start, before I was ready to sue the lot of them for every penny the county had and retired to a nice island off the Bahamas, far away from all this shit. As soon as my lawyer got here.

When we'd got to the police station in Monroe I'd been met with an chorus of hate. It had felt like I'd already been tried and convicted. I was surrounded by sneering lips, caustic gazes and hate-filled thoughts, all projected with such ferocity that even my strongest shields could not keep them all out. Most of the cops thought I should just be taken out back and shot. Some would rather string me up and let me die slowly. Others enjoyed far more graphically violent fantasies of what my future would hold. None spoke to me except the one processing the detention paperwork, and she did so with extreme distaste pouring from her.

It took all my concentration just to determine what was actually being said to me over all the thoughts as they went through the contents of my purse making an inventory. I was struggling with the contrast: Externally there was an almost stifling silence that had descended the moment I'd been walked in, punctuated only by the occasional ringing phone and resulting murmured conversation, or the long echo of a clanging metal door, with the resonate clunking of a heavy duty lock. Internally it felt like every human being within a ten mile radius was screaming abuse and disgust at me. It made it very hard to focus on the questions I was being asked. The officers within hearing range of my stuttered responses thought I was either stupid, being deliberately difficult, or both.

Once all my personal effects were catalogued, I was taken by a female officer for processing. Processing seemed to involve mostly long periods of waiting between short bursts of 'necessary formalities' and the occasional barrage of questions. I struggled to bring to mind so much as my birthday under the pressure of the thoughts I couldn't keep out. Once all the formalities, including being fingerprinted and photographed, were complete, I was taken to a room and shut in with one officer watching the door.

I'd thought, even then, that as soon as they checked _my_ prints against whatever ones they had, this would all be over. Not that hours later I'd be in a cell, my head spinning and feeling like I might throw up. There was a part of my brain even now, hoping that any minute I'd wake up safe in my bed. The only minds currently nearby were those of a drunk in the cell that backed onto mine (who was singing Follow the Yellow Brick Road over and over in his head), and a cop somewhere beyond him, who was thinking he hoped he'd get away on time this afternoon to see his kid in the school dance recital. The female officer who'd locked me in had wandered off somewhere but I was sure she'd be back.

Even with the reduction in brain noise, I still felt sick and dizzy. It was stuffy in here and smelt bad. Perched on the hard bunk, I stuck my head between my knees and tried to make sense of this strange reality. I thought about who I could contact. By this point, I'd requested they provide a lawyer since I had no means to pay for one, so no call needed there. I couldn't call Jason as I had no way to reach him. I couldn't call any of the vampires because it was day. Even if I could, who would I call? Eric had just fired me, probably, which suggested he didn't want anything to do with me. Bill was being so clingy and overprotective he'd probably want to kill the entire station of cops just because they'd 'cuffed me. I might have liked to call Pam, but there was no way to do that without informing Eric.

I thought back to the call I'd made earlier. Before I'd realised this was not going to be sorted out quickly and that I needed a lawyer, I'd called Sam. At the time,n since checking the prints seemed to be taking a while, I'd decided it was best I warn my boss that I might not be in on time for my shift. There had been a phone in the room I'd been taken to after processing and the officer had said I could use it.

"_No it isn't! __I__ am so sick of them making this kind of mistake. As soon as he gets back here __I__ want to speak to him,_" Sam was yelling at someone as he answered the phone. Something had started _his_ day badly as well it seemed. "Oh hey chère," he said, when I said finally managed to tell him who it was. "_No, not that one the other one," _he yelled to someone else in the bar not covering the receiver so even the cop that was pretending to ignore me could hear him clearly. "Sorry about that, what's up?" He focused on the call again.

"Sam, I'm really sorry about this but I'm not sure I'll make my shift." For no logical reason, I'd found myself trying to sound as casual as possible.

I later tried to justify it by telling myself Sam had already had plenty of my dramas to deal with and I knew if I told him where I was he'd drive straight over to start yelling at the nearest officer he could find. Aside from the fact this whole mess should be cleared up before he'd even get here, I didn't think him picking a fight with Monroe's finest would help anyone. But at the time it was just what I'd done, I'd felt so far removed from the normality of my everyday life that I could only think of it as a blip and that 'normal service would be resumed shortly'. I remembered hearing Terry whistling and the soft sounds of the TV in the background down the phone-line, it had felt like when 'real' sounds, the phone ringing or someone calling you, invade a dream causing a temporary cross-over.

"Why not? I thought you wanted more shifts not less." Sam hadn't sounded that worried, I guessed my casual tone was convincing. Plus, between the noises that told me he was working while talking and the fact he was clearly distracted by whatever crisis was making him pull his hair out this morning, he was only half paying attention to me anyway.

"I do, but …" the officer had been looking at me with a snarl on her face. I didn't want to risk saying anything that might upset her. She was already imagining me laying on the floor, trapped between her knees while she punched me over and over. I exhaled slowly trying to force my shields up to block her then muttered to Sam, "Something has come up. I'll tell you all about it when I see you." Just as the cop knew the exact feeling of pleasure she got from a well landed blow to the jaw, I knew the exact corresponding feeling from being the recipient of such a blow, my face had flinched instinctively.

"Vampire business again I suppose. Well I knew this would happen when Northman wanted you working for him. _You can leave that Terry, I'll do it later. _Don't worry Sook, I'll get your shift covered." Sam didn't even sound mildly surprised. He was too used to me taking time off with no notice and no explanation. The cop's thoughts had moved on to a steamy tryst in what seemed to be a broom closet of some kind. There was no clear image of her partner since she was focused on how he'd made her feel, but the memory was tinged with anger and sadness.

"OK Sook, see you then." And without allowing me say anything more, Sam had hung up. I'd held the receiver to my ear a moment longer, it had felt like a life-line, one that had just gone dead.

When I'd glanced in her direction, the officer was back to watching me with undisguised loathing on her face, making me flinch again.

"Not calling your lawyer?" I was blocking her with all my might and was only just able to process her words. Given her mood, I didn't think mentioning that I was just hoping for them to realise they had royally fucked up was the best idea, so I told a grittier truth instead.

"I can't afford one." I'd been fighting both her thoughts and my own crazy smile which I was sure she would wipe off my face if I allowed it to appear. She hadn't looked surprised by my confession. I'd heard her wishing I could hear the hateful thoughts she was having that she wasn't allowed to say.

Back then, I'd still been convinced that this had to be some stupid, crazy, mistake. Part of me was now kicking myself for not telling Sam what was going on, the other part realised there wasn't much he could do anyway, I doubted the cops would even let him see me if he showed up. Until the lawyer got here I was stuck.

I'd felt an overwhelming need to get away from this place (I still did) and the sooner the better. With that being the only thought of my own that I'd been able to hang on to, I'd not asked for a lawyer immediately, thinking it might delay getting the error cleared up while we waited for them to arrive. I could just tell them to check the prints again and it would all be over. If they gave me problems I knew I could ask for legal representation at any point. Well I could if there was someone to ask, after my call to Sam, they'd left me sitting in the empty interview room for an hour and a half.

The room looked just like one off TV with a single table, one chair one side and two the other. There was a large mirror along one wall that was two-way – even if it hadn't been obvious I could hear the thoughts of the people hiding behind it. Given the hate I'd already been subjected too, I'd spent most of the time I was waiting scrambling around inside my head trying to maintain my shields. It was like facing a big dam that every time you plugged one leak another sprung somewhere else.

When I'd finally heard the door handle turn, my first feeling had been relief. It hadn't lasted long.

The 'interview' had been brief after what I discovered, but I had absorbed a lot of information during it since my shields had quickly failed in shock. My prints, the ones taken when I was brought in, matched both what they had on record and the ones they'd found on the murder weapon. Something was horribly horribly wrong. It had taken a several minutes before I'd managed to ask for a lawyer, not because I'd been speaking to them, but because I'd been unable to say anything at all sooner than that. During my shocked pause the cops had bombarded me with questions, mentally and verbally, which hadn't helped.

Now, as I sat on my bunk waiting for the public defender to arrive I started to go over everything I'd discovered and what it might mean. On the plus side I hadn't committed the murder I was being held for. Unfortunately proving that might be a problem.

The female detention officer reappeared and gave me coffee, fruit and sandwiches. I honestly felt too sick to eat but I accepted them anyway.

The name Karl Jacobs that had been ringing through the thoughts of every officer in the station had meant nothing to me. From when the angry arresting cop had sneered at me for saying 'who?' in response to his name, right up until the two cops had come in to 'interview' me, I was sure I didn't know him. My interviewers had been a great hulk of a man with a bristly moustache and a robust woman that somehow managed to have a bony face despite her full figure. I'm not petite by anyone's standards but between their large frames and their even larger 'I'm a cop' attitudes, these two made me feel no bigger than Tinkerbell.

I'd caught that his name was 'Doug' something, though I think that was later when she addressed him. I didn't catch her name at all since the loud broadcaster from beyond the two-way glass had been having a a gut load of regret about the chilli-dog he'd eaten.

When she'd slammed down a family picture, right next to the one she'd slammed down of the headless body, I'd realised that Karl Douglas was the cop that had wanted to deny my brother bail. They'd been triumphant when they spotted the recognition on my face after my earlier indications that I didn't know him. In their minds they'd caught me in a lie. I could have tried making the point that I hadn't known his name but it would have made no difference to them. After all you don't need to know someone's name to kill them. I still didn't know the name of the were-witch that had thrown himself against the knife in my hand during the witch war.

As far as the police were concerned it was a slam-dunk. Had it been up to the station, I'd have been sentenced to death then and there and the sentence carried out. There is no more despised criminal to the law than a cop killer. They had recovered a shot-gun near the scene that had my finger prints on on the barrel, the chamber and even on the firing pin. I still didn't know how my prints had been in the system, an issue I intended to raise with my lawyer as soon as he arrived, but it didn't change the fact that the prints they'd taken from me during processing matched also.

As far as I knew my brother's Benelli was still in the closet by the front door at my house. Could someone have taken it without me knowing? But even then, as far as I could remember the last time it had been out was when Jason cleaned it before leaving it with me (in one of his better brotherly moments Jason had let me hang on to his favourite shotgun, deciding I needed it more than him). So it should have been his fingerprints on it rather than mine. And I knew he couldn't have killed the cop because, though I didn't know where he was being kept by the panthers, I did know it was out of state.

I've always known coffee had magic properties, and on this occasion it only took two sips before it kick started my stunned brain and I realised which gun it was and why my prints were on it. I had been hearing Jason's voice in my head, him chanting various bits of 'gun-law according to Jason' at me. It had been Jason that had insisted I be proficient in firing both a hand gun and a shot gun. Jason that had spent hours lining up different types of targets at different distances. Jason that had strapped up my shoulder after making me practice so much one day that I was painfully bruised from the kick-back.

Partly it was because Jason liked guns and loved hunting, but also my brother had fought so many other kids at our school in my defence, had heard the things the boys said about me in the locker rooms (he'd never told me but I knew of course). He'd wanted to make sure I could protect myself. It was why he'd given up his pride and joy, no matter how badly I'd treated it by not cleaning it immediately after shooting Debbie. I remembered one of his favourite speeches, '_You should never leave fingerprints on the firing pin. Moisture from the skin can cause the parts to rust, they should always be wiped clean._' God, he'd be so mad if he'd seen the awful job I did on … and that's when the coffee kicked in.

I know, how slow can you get? But give a girl a break! I'd woken to a bad hair day, been arrested out of the blue (as far as I was concerned), mentally battered for hours and then discovered there was a heap of evidence that said quite clearly I was facing the death penalty. So sue me if it took a while for my brain to process everything and realise what had happened.

I didn't know why Serge would have shot a policeman but he was certainly slimy enough to do it. Or maybe it was Ned, he seemed the type, if there was such a thing. That still left the question of whether my fingerprints just happened to be on the gun or had been left there on purpose. I guess I really should have listened to Jason. If I'd done a proper job there would have been no prints left at all.

So that was another thing I needed to go through with my lawyer. I mentally ran through everything I could remember about the Kravinoffs, wishing I had a pen and paper.

Of course the fingerprints weren't the only thing the police had on me, that was just the cherry on the top , they also had a bunch of witnesses to me threatening Officer Jacobs outside the Monroe court house. Then there was that I'd violently attacked someone before – the fact that Rene had been trying to kill me at the time didn't seem to factor in their evaluation. It was a good job they didn't know anything about the people I _had_ killed, I'd be strapped to a table already.

There was also my lack of an alibi. This had been the one question I had answered. It had been earlier in the day, before I'd learned about my prints matching, when we were still in the car driving to the station.

"Can you account for your whereabouts last night?" The driver had asked.

"I was at work in Shreveport," I'd been recovering from what I'd seen in his head and latched onto the conversation as a way to think about something other than the bloody images I'd got from him.

"I thought you worked at that bar near your house, Merlotte's?" He hadn't sounded sure of the name.

"I do, but I've also been working at Fangtasia a bit." His interest was peeked at that.

"You work for a vampire?" I wasn't entirely surprised that he knew who Eric was.

"Sometimes," I'd said evasively, suddenly remembering this was not a friendly chat.

The passenger had jumped in at that point. "What do you mean 'sometimes'? Either you work for him or not. Or should we infer that this is some kind of _personal _arrangement? Seeing as you do not want to give us the details." His hostility had confirmed that I really needed to say nothing else. Besides, I wouldn't have known how to answer anyway. I really didn't know if I was still working for Eric or not.

Other thoughts had tried to invade my mind as I remembered _why_ I didn't know if I was still working for Eric. My stomach had given a little excited squeeze as I remembered his lips on mine. I pushed the image back – now was NOT the time for that, a little inner Sookie chided a little inner Eric who was leering in a self-satisfied way. Trust him to throw a distracting wave of lust into the mix at an inappropriate time. Even when he wasn't here and the situation had nothing to do with him. Typical, I'd thought.

"I'll bet," the passenger had said with disgust, bringing my mind back to the car. (It had taken a second to be clear he was still talking about my work for Eric being casual and not that mini inner Eric was being typically lecherous.) "that you're arrangement is real 'casual'." I knew exactly what he thought I'd been doing for the vampires, he didn't need to keep emphasising the point. I was a vampire's whore in his eyes and nothing I said was going to change his mind. He'd turned in his seat to look at my neck, looking for the tell-tale bite marks. Swallowing, I'd felt the lump in my throat bob like an adam's apple.

Doug and the woman officer had brought it up later so I knew not only that the arresting officers had reported the conversation but that someone had checked up on what I'd said.

"According to one of your _colleagues_ at the vampire bar, you usually work until 2:30am but last night you left early. Can you tell us why that is?" I hadn't said anything – this was one of the many questions fired at me during my speechless period between discovering this was not just a mix up that I was about to walk away from and me finding my voice to ask for a lawyer.

Still I remember thinking, if only I'd worked my full shift. I'd instantly dismissed the idea that this was why I'd been sent home. If Eric wanted me arrested he'd have told them about Debbie. Woman-cop had been to Fangtasia at some point, had seen Eric for herself. I'd seen a flash of him in her mind. He was striding across his bar looking dangerous enough to make women faint from desire.

"It sounds to me _Miss Stackhouse_," Doug had said, managing to make my name sound like _whore of Satan_, "that you left work, without permission, in order to drive to Monroe and kill Deputy Jacobs. Perhaps you thought you could get away and back without anyone noticing. But you didn't catch up with Deputy Jacobs early enough to get back for the end of your shift did you? So now you've lost your job and your alibi."

I'd known fear was showing on my face and a distant part of my mind had reflected, once again, how I showed less fear when facing off against angry vampires. Doug may not be able to rip me apart quite so easily as one of the undead but there was still plenty of harm he could do me and I knew he really wanted to. But that wasn't what caused me so much angst.

It was that for me, the police had always fallen more into the 'friend' camp than the 'foe' camp. Admittedly Andy Bellefleur and I were not going to be exchanging Christmas cards but 'the police' were the good guys who protected law-abiding citizens like me. They were supposed to be on my side but suddenly they weren't. Of course by the time I was sitting in my cell I thought, maybe it wasn't them that had switched sides though, maybe it was me. I didn't kill this guy but I had killed hadn't I? Maybe it wasn't them that had changed the rules.

I knew I needed to stay silent but the instinct to defend against unjust accusations was there too. They'd pressed on with more questions not giving me time to respond or even think. Taking it in turns to bark at me like a matching pair of attack dogs.

"Did anyone see you after you got home?" I'd tried to think of something convincing but even Bill coming round wouldn't help since the murder hadn't happened until about 2am in the morning.

"Was anyone with you at 2am when Detective Jacobs was shot?" I was relieved they'd at least said the time out loud. I wouldn't have to worry about slipping up by knowing it.

"Just admit it, you left work to go to Monroe and shoot deputy Jacobs didn't you." They'd looked excited as I finally opened my mouth to say something.

"I want a lawyer," I'd said. They'd looked unhappy but unsurprised. My asking was taking as further confirmation of my guilt, but not asking would have been taken the same way.

They'd agreed to contact the public defenders office and I'd been brought to this cell.

[***]

It was several more hours before I heard the rattling of keys again and the corrections officer came to fetch me once more, giving me the same ugly look as last time. I dropped my eyes and tried desperately to put up some shields so I wouldn't have to hear her hateful thoughts. I had lost all control over my telepathy. As she walked me through the station I was battered again with loathing, revulsion, anger, distrust, insults and some really appalling images of the sorts of things they hoped would happen to me. I almost thought a physical beating would have been easier to bear and knew a few of them were considering doing just that. Aside from me being a 'cop-killer', Karl had been well liked by his colleagues and had a young family.

I was thrust into a small room with a table and two hard plastic chairs. It was much like the interview room, only without the two-way mirror on the wall. A bald man was sitting at the table with an open briefcase in front of him. I tried to focus. Without my shields I would really have to concentrate to make sure I only responded to the things he said. Which was hard when I knew straight off the bat that he thought I was guilty, and that it was a pity because pretty girls like me didn't last long in jail.

His name was Fred Walcott and he was my lawyer, he informed me. I was simultaneously informed that his piles were giving him hell and he hoped this wouldn't take long. He started running through what would happen with my arraignment, the fact that it was just a formality because murderers were always remanded in custody – which, he explained, meant they were denied bail. Then he started in on the likely sentences I could expect to face. It quickly became clear he thought I was pleading guilty.

I was sitting opposite him, pressing my palms hard into the table to try to stop my hands from shaking. I knew from his thoughts I was looking a little deranged. My hair was sticking up, my eyes were those of a deer in the headlights, and I had a streak of dirt across my cheek. It didn't help that I was also wearing a 'Team Jacob' sweatshirt that Alcide's work crew had given me when they finished my house. I wasn't a fan but the sentiment had made me laugh. It said 'Some like it Hot.' I didn't wear it usually but I'd figured it would do for cleaning in when I was getting ready that morning.

"Mr Walcott, what about my defence?" He looked startled by my question.

"What defence? I'm not sure you can claim self-defence dear. The shot was fired from three feet away, straight in the face, not the act of a panicked woman, and you don't have a scratch on you." He waved a hand in my direction but his eyes were focused on the paperwork before him. He found it unsettling to look at me.

"No, not self defence," I said carefully with as much patience as I could muster. "I'm innocent, I wasn't even there. I don't know who shot that man, but it wasn't me."

"Excuse me?" He looked up, stunned for the second time in as many minutes, then softened his face and spoke to me like I was a small child. "Miss Stackhouse, the evidence is overwhelming. You will not do yourself any favours by trying to deny it. By pleading guilty we may be able to get you a lesser sentence. Life or perhaps even life with the possibility of parole if we can make a case for diminished capacity." His face was patronising and I got straight from his head he thought I was either really stupid or crazy. His mind started to wander to an earlier conversation and I spoke quickly and a little too loudly to block out his thoughts.

"Look, I get it, you were appointed the case, you didn't pick me, and I didn't pick you, but I am _not_ guilty so that is what I am pleading." I tried to sound as serious, sensible and rational as I could. It wasn't working. I ran through my explanation, how the only reason my prints were on the gun was because I'd cleaned it, how my prints shouldn't even have been in the system, but my lawyer was barely listening to me. Instead he was wondering whether he should have a psychologist look at me and declare me unable to make my own legal decisions. He was frustrated that even if he did that, he was stuck doing what I asked until it went through. The thought gave him another idea, one that had been brewing at the back of his mind.

"Well, if you insist," he finally said with a sigh. He glanced at his paperwork with a mixture of perplexity and being put upon. "We could always try for a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity." He smiled indulgently. "I spoke to Detective Bellefleur about you. It seems you have a history of mental problems and are well known for … well … that you're … not normal. We can get those who know you to testify. Andy indicated he thought there may have been some psychological testing when you were young?" I hadn't killed the other cop, but I was thinking I might kill Andy given the chance. I focused on not letting that thought show on my face.

When I didn't say anything my lawyer continued. "With your permission I can access your medical records to see if they can help us. An institution_ may_ be a better place for you than prison and you will avoid the death penalty. But you should understand that unless you can prove you are no longer a danger to society you will still be locked away for life." He continued speaking to me like I was a child, or more, the way people sometimes speak to the elderly. I snapped.

"I. AM. NOT. CRAZY!" I yelled straining my throat.

I'd stood up suddenly in my frustration, knocking my chair over with a loud bang as I leaned over the table trying to make my point. Mr Walcott moved back sharply looking more than a little scared and the door opened behind me. The next thing I knew my face was being rammed into the wall and my arm twisted high behind my back. Even though I didn't resist or even cry out, the officer slammed me against the wall a couple of extra times for good measure.

"Problem in here?" asked another officer from further behind me. The one that was now trying to test how far my arm would twist before it broke, hadn't said a word.

Mr Walcott seemed unable to speak. I knew from his head that he was scared of me and glad that the cop had come in when I got agitated. Even so, he didn't approve of the level of force the cop had used, especially on a woman. He just wanted to leave now. He was convinced the only right place for me was an institution.

I tried to take a few deep breaths and the cop holding me shook me.

"Take it easy Doug," said the other cop. There was a pause and then Doug let go of me. I stayed where I was once released, rubbing my face (which I felt sure had been bruised by the wall) and letting my shoulders slump. The fight drained out of me. It was hopeless until they found the Kravinoffs. I would be better off keeping as quiet and still as possible before I got myself into even more trouble.

"I'm sorry, I'm just ..." I shrugged.

"No harm done," said my lawyer. His voice was shaking. "Er … perhaps you should sleep on it and we'll talk again tomorrow." He was already packing away his briefcase. You didn't need to be a mind reader to see the relief pouring off him as he stood to leave.

"Come on Miss Stackhouse, I'll take you back to the cells," said the second officer. His tone wasn't as harsh as I was getting used to and I glanced at him. It was the driver from the car, the one that thought I didn't seem like a murderer. I took another deep breath and nodded my consent. It was harder than it should have been.

"Please understand me Mr Walcott," I said as reasonably as I could when I turned to leave. "I am pleading_ not guilty_ by reason of being _innocent._ I did _not_ shoot that officer and I will not say that I did." My lawyer was looking at me like I might actually be insane. He was scared of me, but also pitied me. I could hear him planning to try and get me into a nice institution, one where I would get the care I obviously needed. "You will at least tell them about the Kravinoffs won't you?" I said to him and he had nodded, leaving me with a very small amount of hope.

As nice cop took me back to the woman that was on female cells duty I realised he too had heard Andy's report, that I was crazy, and like the lawyer felt sorry for me. Unfortunately he was the only cop who thought my behaviour was due to some sort of illness. Many mumbled their insults as I passed, unaware it was completely unnecessary for them to speak their thoughts aloud.

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I know that was quite an angsty chapter, sorry. So, for the moment we will be leaving poor Sookie in her cell and viewing things from a different perspective. Next chapter we'll be hearing from Pam :) will try to get it up by/at the weekend. xx


	17. Dr Pam or: How I Learned

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx.**

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**Chapter 17: Dr Pam or: How I Learned to Start Worrying and Hire a P.I.**

**Dating Don't: Don't interfere with your friends love-lives, unless they are emotionally stubborn, danger magnets with their heads up their asses, in which case meddle like crazy.**

**Pam 3rd Person POV **

There was a message on Pam's phone when she awoke the evening after sending Sookie home. One glance at it and she was sending a text to Eric while feeling for him through their bond. She quickly established he was at home and he was tense. After asking him to wait for her she dialled the number for her private detective. She clicked him onto speaker-phone so he could hear her without her needing to shout and went through the shower as he continued to report. Once dry, she pulled on a Douglas Hannant pant suit and her favourite Louboutins. She was headed in Eric's direction within fifteen minutes of rising for the evening.

Thank God she had hired Samuel Gibbs to watch Sookie after last night. She had wanted to be certain what the situation with Bill was. She hoped the girl wouldn't be so stupid as to go back to that pathetic creature, not when she knew what Eric could offer. To be fair to Sookie, Eric was behaving completely irrationally. On the other hand, Sookie was too busy stubbornly ignoring her own feelings to call him on it. Pam had tried but he wasn't ready to listen to her on the subject of the telepath.

Pam had been concerned about Eric's behaviour for a while, none of it made any sense to her. She knew he was furious about his lost memories, so much so that Pam barely dared tease him about it. As she hit the accelerator on a corner, she had a fond flash of seeing him cling to a human's ankle like a child. She was looking forward to the day she could taunt him with that one, maybe next century.

Of course unlike most vampires, Eric had always loved physical contact. When she was newly turned and they would share their day rest, he would wrap himself around her each dawn as the sun rose. He'd still be there when she woke, even though he vivified much earlier than she did. Since the revelation he had loved that they no longer needed to hide what they were, meaning touching humans was not that much of an issue. But with Sookie this trait was even more pronounced. Either with or without his memories, he always seemed happier when he was touching her than not.

Pam had reported everything that had happened during the witch-war, in great detail. Not that she'd had much choice in that. Eric had insisted and even physically shaken her when she tried to downplay some of his odd behaviour. She knew Sookie had told him something as well, though he wouldn't tell her what. They all knew Sookie had finally had sex with him. Pam had expected Eric to be pleased about that but he didn't seem to be and she couldn't figure out why.

Despite herself Pam liked the telepath, she was feisty and she made existence more interesting. There was also something about her: The way she was fiercely loyal; the way she stood up for what she believed and for those she cared about, even against those much more powerful than her. Pam found to her surprise that she actually respected the human, especially since she had cared for Eric when he was vulnerable.

She had tried to hide it as best she could but the risk to Eric had rocked Pam to the core. She could not imagine existence without him and it was so rare for him to be in any real danger. Trouble, yes, all the time, he courted it, deliberately, because he enjoyed the action. (It had taken her several decades after he'd turned her to realise that. He always managed to make it look like the trouble sprung up randomly when he just happened to be there.) But the timid creature that had stood in Sookie's house, not even knowing his own child, could easily have been killed, despite his superior strength, because he lacked Eric's savvy. That thought had terrified her.

She was sure Sookie had fallen in love with her master during that time and suspected he had loved her too. This was not so surprising, he'd been completely memoryless, Sookie had been all he'd known. What Pam now suspected was that, though he couldn't remember it, the feelings had remained, and this was what was driving him nuts.

It might have been funny, it was funny. So many women had fallen in love with Eric but he'd only ever shown true affection for her as his child. The thought that he had genuine feelings for a woman, for a human at that, was hilarious to Pam. If it had to happen, at least it was someone worth knowing rather than one of those pathetic creatures that populated the bar. But it was making him careless and erratic, an affectation he adopted regularly (it made him unpredictable to his enemies) but something in actuality he never was. Until now.

Pam couldn't understand why he didn't just claim Sookie as his. She'd probably balk a bit, that was just Sookie, but she'd settle down soon enough. Eric would fuck her into submission. Instead he'd mostly been avoiding the telepath while almost obsessively monitoring her feelings through his blood. He'd tried to deny it but Pam knew him too well. Just like she knew that he'd disrupted Sookie's date in the park with Compton on purpose. He'd done a good job of pretending he hadn't known they were together when he'd insisted she called the investigator but Pam had known better. A few missing vamps in Alabama did not require such urgent research.

She'd tried to warn Eric he needed to make his move before it was too late.

"So was he fucking her?" She'd asked after Eric had finally released Bill for the night. She wouldn't mind Eric playing these games so much if he was enjoying himself. As it was, she just wanted to smack him round the head with her Nine-Iron.

"No," he'd replied shortly. His look had been one of warning but Pam hadn't heeded it, she'd let her amusement show.

"Is someone else fucking her?" She'd allowed him to feel her lust as she imaged herself having that pleasure.

"Pam," he'd growled in warning. Eric had never been one for pets and saw most of the women who serviced him as disposable but he was extremely possessive when it came to Sookie. Pam had been discouraged from so much as fantasising about the tasty telepath. Much good _that_ warning had done. She'd paid it as much mind as the growl in his voice now.

"Well it's bound to happen if you won't do it. That Were is definitely interested, so is Sookie's Shifter. I'd do it myself but I don't think she does women. A pity really, I'm sure it would be fun and she certainly tastes good. It would be nice to have that blood without the taint of Maenad." She had let her fangs slip out and run her tongue over one. He'd tried to ignore her but she'd known he was becoming more and more irritated as she poked several different sore spots.

She'd smiled broadly as he'd dropped the shards of plastic that had been a pen into the waste basket by his desk. "Maybe if I showed up at her house injured. I'm sure she would take me in and help me heal." Pam had braced herself as Eric moved towards her, worried she'd gone too far, but he'd simply moved her out of his office and shut the door on her.

Though he hadn't said anything, she'd thought she'd got through to him. After disappearing for several hours the following night (Pam had not been pleased he'd taken off on a Saturday but she knew how to cover for him) he'd returned with the plan to have Sookie come work for them at Fangtasia. He said it would allow him to make his protection of her formally known without raising too many questions. Pam knew that wasn't really why he wanted her at the bar. His reaction to her carrying Compton's scent the first evening was evidence enough of that.

She understood the problem of Compton of course. Eric couldn't been seen to be taking a human that belonged to another, or even actively pursuing her. It would make all the vampires in his area with pets nervous. And Compton was certainly trying to give the impression among the vampire community that Sookie was still his, no matter how many times she referred to him as just her neighbour.

Even without the Compton complication, Eric couldn't risk showing Sookie too much favour in the bar, it would make her a target to those that wanted to hurt him, as it had with the pirate. He'd been horrified to discover she had been put in danger simply because of her connection to him. Part of his reasoning behind employing her was to dispel the rumours that she was a weakness that could be exploited. He wanted to send the message that she was protected as an employee, but no more.

Pam had recommended that Eric inform Sookie of the reason for his distant behaviour but he refused using the excuse that humans were too easy to read and that she might give the game away, even though they both knew Sookie was more than capable of maintaining her poker face since she had even bluffed Eric in the past.

Pam suspected that really Eric was trying to stamp his control on the situation by ignoring that which interested him so much. Not that you could call the games he'd been playing ignoring exactly. She'd teased him about being like a human child pulling pigtails in a playground. (Sookie had explained to her once how this was what small boys did to small girls they liked.) Eric had said that the girl he liked best was his child and spend the next week pulling Pam's hair whenever she wasn't expecting it.

Recently Sookie had started to look drawn. Pam had mused aloud that maybe the girl was getting sick. She was only human after all and it happened, but Eric insisted, despite the fact they both knew different, that he didn't care as long as she continued to show up for work. He refused to tell Pam what feelings he was getting from her. Just like he'd refused to acknowledge the games he'd been playing in the bar, claiming allowing fang-bangers to maul him had been a PR stunt. Admittedly revenues had been up 10% as many hoped to be one of the next chosen to keep him company in his booth but Pam had heard the conversation between Bill and Sookie about getting under a quilt together echo down the phone line just as clearly as her master had.

That was when Pam had decided to take matters into her own hands. First thing was to dislodge the churlish Compton. She had been channelling Eric when deciding the manner in which to disrupt their reconciliation. Pam had smelled a fairy's scent when they went in for the Fangtasia calender shots, done a little personal investigation and discovered Sookie had done a photo shoot with one. It had been easy to lift one of the pictures of Sookie and Claude. Then it had just been a matter of finding the right book. She'd had a few copies made up and sent one to Bill's house.

Things had developed well. Bill had been apoplectic and Pam had listened from outside as he'd berated Sookie. This had also confirmed to Pam that Eric was, as she suspected, blocking his link to Sookie when he was feeding. His interest in her was quite separate from the necessity of satisfying his bodily needs, though she was sure he'd prefer Sookie was doing that also. Anyway, he hadn't reacted to whatever Sookie had been feeling during Bill's tirade.

Sookie then retaliated against Bill's accusations with the date she'd gone on. A move that made it clear she wasn't Bill's no matter how much he hovered around her. Even better was that the date had been such a flaming disaster and Eric had needed to step in. (Unlike Sookie, Pam wasn't convinced that Eric 'just happened' to be in the same club, though since he'd been out for dinner it was possible.) Now was the time for Eric to claim her while she'd made it publicly clear she was available. They had been dancing 'round each other since Sookie took weekly shifts at Fangtasia, anyone could see the desire was mutual.

But then, just as things seemed to be on course, Eric sent Sookie away rather than ripping her clothes off and putting a few well placed dents in the staff lockers. Pam had even considered that perhaps Eric's mind hadn't been completely restored after the spell. Perhaps there was still some important, decisive, part of him missing. But in reality she didn't think that was it. Pam had decided to step in once again.

After last night it was clear further action was needed to sort the pair of them out. It was so obvious they had been kissing in the store room. They stank of each other and Sookie was flushed in a way Pam hadn't seen since Eric had been staying with her in Bon Temps. She couldn't believe he hadn't followed through. It was possible that Sookie had backed away, she was stubborn enough to do so, but Pam didn't think that was it, judging by the girls reaction when she told her to go home.

Sookie had been lusting after him and Eric had sent her away before he gave into it, or gave into it more. It was almost certainly feeling her fantasize about him in the bar that had set him off in the first place. Pam could not work out why he was restraining himself when they clearly wanted each other. She had briefly considered turning Sookie herself so at least the girl wouldn't die of old age before the pair of them got their heads out of their asses but she didn't think Eric would forgive her for that. Instead she hired the P.I. Thank fuck for that, considering the trouble Sookie was now in. Pam had never known anyone attract trouble like the telepath (except maybe Eric). It was one of the reasons she liked her so much.

When Pam arrived at Eric's house he was waiting for her. Under his carefully managed emotions, nervous tension tugged at her, urging her to hurry. Of course, he could feel that something was wrong. From what the P.I. had told her, Sookie was probably miserable or scared or both. This was not the time to pretend they didn't both know Eric cared for his human and would help her. As she looked through the back door and past the utility, Pam could see her master in the kitchen. He was trying to look like he was reading the paper when clearly he was checking his blood, again. She sighed loudly. He ignored her.

When she reached the kitchen doorway Eric raised an eyebrow, but gave no other sign of being on tenterhooks for her news. He was too stubborn to ask and he already knew she had the information he required. She was a good second and paid attention. She'd broken his rules and kept her shoes on to show her irritation with him. If he'd just claimed the girl this would never have happened.

Pam had already determined not to mince her words. On the off chance she was wrong and Eric was stupid enough not to help, she'd go herself. Sookie couldn't stay where she was. It wasn't safe. Eric turned his head to scowl at her feet as her heels clicked across the kitchen floor. She stopped and tapped her designer-clad toe in challenge. He wanted the news too badly to wait while she went back and took them off and they both knew it. When Eric remained silent she accepted her victory gracefully and started right in.

"Sookie has been arrested and charged with murder. She is in jail in Monroe." Pam enjoyed the click of six inches of steel as she made her way to the fridge in her heels and extracted two bloods to put in the microwave. When she looked at him, Eric actually appeared a little relieved. Whatever he'd been feeling from the girl obviously had him thinking it was much worse.

"Well at least she cannot get into any trouble in jail, perhaps we should leave her there." He turned back to his paper, flipping to the funnies. (He had a penchant for Garfield which, like all his other soft spots, he preferred to deny.)

Eric was relying on Pam to talk him out of ignoring Sookie's trouble. She had half a mind to pretend to agree with him so he'd have to react but time might be a factor. Besides she was already going to pay for wearing her shoes in the house.

"Not a good idea Eric, the man she is accused of murdering was a police officer, and they are certain she did it. She won't last long if we leave her there." Eric looked sharply at Pam when he picked up on her concern. It was the 'not-gloating' over the shoes that really alerted him. She placed a blood in front of him and opened her own.

"Tell me," he commanded as she hopped up onto the counter top with a sigh. He was not going to be happy about the P.I., even though it meant she now knew what was going on.

Pam relayed the information Samuel Gibbs had told her, which was limited. The name of the cop and that he had been killed by a shotgun blast to the face (Eric seemed very interested in that detail but didn't comment); that they were not looking for anyone else; that they seemed to think that Sookie would be convicted without question; and that there were several cops at the station not keen on waiting for the legal system to hand out justice. Thankfully Eric seemed OK with the fact that Pam had set a P.I. on his obsession. Maybe he'd been tempted to do it himself.

Eric was on his phone the second she indicated she had finished. Having high placed contacts was a quiet speciality of his. Even the Queen didn't have the pull Eric did when it came to human matters. Despite the fact that Eric changed outfits three times first, within two hours they were standing before a stout, middle-aged desk cop that was ready to give the Viking anything he asked for. Except what he had actually asked for. Murderers do not get bail. Murderers of policemen do not get anything.

Eric loomed over the poor man who was so nervous he'd actually muttered something about 'perhaps there's some other detainee you'd rather have?' Sweat was beading across his forehead and dark patches of it soaked through his shirt. He had already explained that Sookie's arraignment wasn't until tomorrow and that even then the charges against her meant she would be denied bail. Eric's questioning look left the man stuttering over the same information again. It was clear Eric was not going to accept this situation but as he had not asked a specific question the policeman was at a loss as to how to turn him down.

Pam stood back silently, just watching. She could hear the heartbeat in a room behind the officer. Judging by its irregular pattern the human it belonged to could hear the conversation at the desk. She wondered why Sookie hadn't phoned them. The P.I. hadn't been able to determine who Sookie _had_ called, her lawyer probably, he thought. She'd have to wait until her vampire investigator came through with a copy of the police file before she had all the information. Whoever Sookie had called, she would have done better to call Eric, even if he wasn't awake at the time. But then the girl was so stubborn about asking for help. Pam wanted to open a window, the smell coming from the officer was not as appealing as fear usually was.

Eric checked his phone as he continued to talk to the human. Released temporarily from Eric's gaze, the man reached for his mug of coffee then thought better of it and withdrew his hand. So far he had dropped everything he had picked up since they'd arrived and the floor around him was littered with several desk items. Though Pam knew he'd have a plan, she couldn't work out how Eric was going to get to Sookie if his contacts didn't come through. They couldn't kill their way in, the Queen and the AVL would have their fangs. That was the trouble with coming out; In the old days, as long as you didn't leave puncture marks, humans would make up their own story, vampire crime was recognisable now.

Pam tuned back in to the conversation between Eric and the desk-cop. Some fleeting thought had reminded the human he was supposed to be the authority here. He straightened his spine and started to ask his own questions in an attempt to change the dynamic of the conversation. This might have been more impressive if his heartbeat hadn't been going at such a rate that he was at risk of a coronary. He'd definitely lost the colour from his cheeks.

"She is my employee," Eric said firmly, as if this were the only issue that mattered. The man had asked why Eric was even interested in some crazy country bumpkin. He really had a very low opinion of Sookie.

"She mentioned something about working for a vamp. Said it was casual," the man mumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the file before him, though whether to avoid being glamoured or just because he was intimidated by Eric, Pam couldn't tell.

She felt the rage flair in Eric at the offhanded reference to his relationship with Sookie and thought the cop was lucky to still be alive. Eric and Sookie may not have settled the terms of their arrangement but it was anything but casual. Surely even she wouldn't have suggested otherwise. Either Sookie was trying to protect them from getting involved with her problems with the police, or this man was just putting his own spin on things.

She could detect the tension in Eric's voice when he spoke again, but to anyone else he would have sounded perfectly calm and controlled.

"Her work in my bar is, as you put it, '_casual_' however we have an ongoing agreement regarding the other work she does for me." It wasn't like Eric to make such a careless comment. Anything to do with Sookie and these sort of slips happened. The cop was bound to ask more questions now.

"Other work? She didn't mention that." There was a hint of disgust but he hid it well for a human, trying to stay polite. Pam could tell the man thought Sookie was one of those pathetic fang bangers, or perhaps some sort of whore. She felt a growl vibrate quietly in her chest. If he wanted to keep breathing he'd better not say that outright. She exhaled heavily through her nose making the man's eyes flick to her briefly while she contemplated ways to get him to move to the part of the room not covered by the security cameras. Irritated, Eric pushed restraint at her – he was sharing her anger and impatience, since he couldn't take it out on the cop he was syphoning it off onto her through their bond.

"I am not surprised." Eric continued to sound relaxed but even the human could sense the danger rolling off him at this point. "She provides a mediator service of sorts. Often she must deal with _very_ sensitive information, her discretion is paramount." Eric didn't really care what this man thought of his arrangement with Sookie, only that he was keeping her from him.

"What kind of sensitive information?" The man glanced up in his curiosity but quickly dropped his eyes back to the pages before him, flicking them back and forth without reading anything.

"I am not about to tell you." Eric's voice was very firm. The officer stopped this line of questioning abruptly and continued to flick his paperwork, clearly trying to think of a good reason to send them away.

Pam was sure they'd have to glamour him, but it was tricky. They'd have to make sure it was undetectable and there was the other cop listening in to consider. Besides, it wouldn't help with the problem that the proper legal processes meant Sookie was supposed to stay locked up, no matter how dangerous it might be for her. It would bring down all sorts of shit if a story got out about vampires busting a killer out of jail. The phone rang and the officer answered it, relieved to have a break from talking to Eric. Pam heard Eric's text alert as the human put the handset to his ear. She had to work hard to keep her face impassive as she listened to both sides of the conversation.

The local judge and Eric knew each other well. Eric had even spent several evenings at the judge's house discussing the ills of the world and various political approaches that had been tried in different times and places through history. Eric's historical knowledge was something the Judge found he had great respect for, well that and his ability to locate extremely rare bottles of single malt. Of course the judge didn't know that Eric had also seduced his daughter.

Even with the risk of losing such a useful contact Eric had been unable to resist the challenge of bedding a virtuous and righteous woman who boasted she had never found any man more attractive to her than God. Subsequently she had abandoned her plans to join a convent as she felt she had given herself to the devil – three times. He had glamoured her afterwards (he would never have done so beforehand, that would have been cheating and would have ruined the fun of the game) to ensure she accepted that God forgave her, and also that her father probably wouldn't so it was best not to tell him.

Eric had convinced the judge that due to the victim being an officer, keeping Sookie locked up put her at risk. The fact that officers from Monroe had crossed jurisdiction lines to arrest her and that her arraignment hadn't been held within 12 hours backed up this argument. There was also a question mark over why Sookie's fingerprints had been in the system.

Both Pam and Eric had been pleased that the police had broken so many rules, it would have been hard for the judge to justify bailing a cop-killer otherwise. Eric had given his personal guarantee that Sookie would show for any and all proceedings. That alone was worth more than any bail amount. He didn't give his word often, but when he did he stuck to it. The judge's agreement was based on Eric himself taking custody of Sookie. This option would not have been available to anyone else.

Several minutes later the officer hung up.

"Well Mr Northman, it seems an emergency hearing for the arraignment was held in the judge's chambers and he has agreed to bail being set. As long as you are able to pay the full amount I'm to release Miss Stackhouse into your custody." He was in shock, worried, and relieved, all at once. Pam decided he'd only just realised that Eric's power was political as well as physical. The heartbeat in the back room swore vehemently under his breath. Pam suspected he'd be doing a lot more of that once the desk cop passed on the message that a review of their procedures had also been ordered due to their mishandling of the case.

"The bail money won't be a problem," Eric said to the desk-cop, holding out his hand to his child. Pam passed him the file of paperwork she was carrying. The officer gave Eric a piece of paper that had been coming through the fax while he was on the phone. As Eric ran his eyes down it, Pam read over his arm. The amount was $1,500,000.00, which was extortionately high, but then usually you couldn't get bail for murder at all, especially murder of a cop.

The desk cop tried to limit his humiliation by waiting until they were distracted by the form to crawl on the floor and retrieve his pen. Of course it took only a fraction of a second for them to view the whole document but they continued to keep up the pretence for longer. They were so close to their goal there was no point upsetting him now or he might delay things.

Once the man had resumed his place, Eric didn't hesitate. He pulled out the bankers draft he'd collected on route that covered the full amount. The figure had been pre-agreed with the judge. It was only so high in order to satisfy anyone else that looked into it, the judge was happy with Eric's word. He knew that, while running from the police might be possible, running from Eric was not.

The officer's eyes went so round Pam thought his eyeballs were going to fall out as he gripped the money with one hand and his desk with the other. It was an understandable reaction. There couldn't be that many people in the world that could whip out a mil' and a half at a moments notice. Eric was using one of his 'bolt' accounts to cover it. He had several accounts with large sums he could access in emergencies if he had to bolt from his current set up, just as he had several artefacts he'd collected over the centuries with which he could also raise large amounts of money if needed. He didn't touch them usually and had different accounts for his night to night existence.

"My associate will deal with the rest of the paperwork," Eric said handing the folder with all the necessary information and completed forms back to Pam. "I'll see Miss Stackhouse now." It wasn't a request. If the officer thought he was going to argue, one look at Eric's face changed his mind. Eric wasn't being threatening, at least not in the normal sense. He was giving the officer his most seductive smile, all warmth and promise. The officer looked terrified, both by the suggestion and his own reaction to it.

"This way Sir," he managed to squeak out.

As the desk-cop led Eric to the cells, the heartbeat from the other room came out to handle the paperwork. His eyes glittered with hatred and the scent of Sookie clung to his clothes. Pam was glad Eric had moved away. Sookie's scent was too strong, the man had been in close physical contact with her at some point, though Pam wasn't sure why. As far as she knew, female detainees were usually handled by female officers, humans were big on separation of the sexes. She made a mental note of his name. If he had hurt Sookie she would find him again.


	18. Who Framed Sookie Stackhouse

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**Apologies for the delay in posting, I was off visiting my mum. This is a nice long ****chapter anyway to try and make up for the delay. Thank you all for reading and for the messages, sorry I wasn't able to respond this week. ****Anyway, on with the story ...**

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**Chapter 18: Who Framed Sookie Stackhouse.**

**Dating Do: Do allow him to be the gentleman and open doors for you. Especially when those doors are thick steel ones.**

**Sookie POV**

I was laying on my back on the bunk listening to the caged light in the ceiling buzzing like a trapped hornet. Not a bit of air moved in the room. It was as if someone had hit pause. I wished they could pause my brain too. Though I couldn't think of a single way in which she could help, I so sorely missed Gran as I lay there that my heart felt hollow. Some sort of gapin' black hole that Gran had always kept at bay was now free to suck every ounce of hope and happiness out of me.

The hole in my heart wasn't any better than the panic I'd felt earlier, but it was more restful. Once back in my cell after meeting my lawyer, I'd started to think about how all this had happened. The panic had me pacing for hours. Trying to plan or plot or at least just think over the frantic buzzing in my brain, until my legs ached and my hands were all scraped up from when I'd taken my frustration out on the wall.

Of course I knew the answer. The universe liked balance. It may have seemed like I'd gotten away with killing Debbie, but karmic payback was now snapping at my heels. It couldn't be a coincidence that the man I was accused of killing had suffered almost the exact same fate as the were-bitch in my kitchen.

It had occurred to me at one point that if I _had_ killed the man there would be blood on my clothes. I knew exactly how far the blood travelled when a head exploded like that. It got everywhere. I also realised I couldn't use this as a defence. It would hardly help, '_I didn't kill this man but I know all about blasting someone's head off because I did kill somebody else that way_.' Not really going to get me out of trouble. They'd just think I was a serial killer. I couldn't see them buying my self-defence explanation. '_I had to kill her because she was trying to kill me over a werewolf we both know and she had already shot the amnesiac vampire that was staying with me but he doesn't remember any of this any more because he got his memory back'_. I'd be in a padded cell before I could blink – if I was lucky.

When the corrections officer had brought my evening meal, which was exactly the same fare as lunch but at least it was edible, I'd had another page added to the evidence against me. I'd 'heard' that when they had checked out the address I'd given my lawyer for the Kravinoffs, all they'd found was an empty property with no sign of anyone living there. To make matters worse, the name Kravinoff was from a Spiderman comic. The cops thought I was mocking them, sending them on a wild goose chase after fictional characters.

As I lay on my bunk I was starting to believe I might end up in the nut-house after all. Much more of this and I probably would go mad. If I lived that long. More than one of the officers I'd passed had the urge to take things into their own hands. Even alone in my cell I didn't dare cry. I thought if I started I might not stop. And I had just enough of my stupid pride left to not want them to know they'd gotten to me.

I heard the chinking of keys again and fumbled, trying to put my shields up. I just couldn't take any more hate tonight. I wanted to _sleep_ and forget everything for a short while. Not that sleep was coming any time soon. I was so tired the insanity option sounded really good. I knew it was a cop-out and that I'd never do it, but right then I felt there was actually a possibility of allowing myself to skip off down the rabbit hole for real, just to escape this place.

I didn't think anything else would happen with my case until my lawyer came back tomorrow, so I was puzzled when I heard the scrape of a key entering the lock on my cell door. I managed to flop my head in that direction but couldn't summon the energy to get up. Maybe they'd come to throw some more abuse at me. At least I hoped it was just verbal abuse they planned. Panic started to creep into me but it was slow, I hadn't even the energy to fear for my safety.

Eric came striding into the cell and looked down at me. It was a good thing I was lying down because his appearance would have floored me otherwise. He was wearing a suit and tie and looked like an extremely handsome, high powered lawyer. His hair was pulled back and his shirt, jacket and trousers impeccable. He seemed to have even more presence than usual. There was concern and anger and something else I couldn't determine in his eyes, though the set of his mouth was all business. I couldn't even begin to explain his arrival. I gaped at him and felt tears push at the barrier I'd been keeping them behind.

"Get up, we're leaving," he said. His voice was neither harshly angry, nor mocking as I might have expected. Instead it resonated with strength and support.

I continued to gape at him. A small spark, just a tiny ember, of hope glimmered somewhere deep inside.

"You are being released into my custody," he said more gently. When I still didn't move, he came forward and helped me sit up. His eyes checked me over carefully. I was aware I must look a wreck. Aside from the darkening bruise on my cheek and the scrapes on my knuckles, I knew my hair, which had started the day a mess, now made me look like I'd stuck my finger into a socket. The cell was filthy and I suspected there was schmutz on my face as well as my hands, which I now tried to wipe on my also filthy jeans.

Part of me wanted to just look at him. Scary as he could be, there had come to be something safe, something comforting, about Eric. Plus of course he was beautiful, like looking at a twelve point buck or the rich tones of a stormy sunset over the Bayou. Even so, the other part of me couldn't bear to meet his eye. The state I was in, the trouble I was in, I would almost have preferred to stay in this cell forever rather than have him know about it. So my eyes flicked to his and away again, then back, then away, over and over unable to settle on one way or the other. Every time they caught his, those deep pools were inspecting me closely, forcing my eyes to dart away in shame.

Slowly his words seeped into my mind. I was being released on bail. I forced myself to look at him to check the truth of it. His expression was encouraging. I didn't know how Eric had managed to swing my release, or even how he knew I was here. Right now I couldn't think of anything beyond the idea I could leave this horrible cell, this station with all its terrorising hate and sickening anger.

I slowly pushed myself to my feet, scared that if I moved too quickly my little flame of hope would be snuffed out again. Eric steadied me as I stood. He was stone faced but I knew him well enough to know that the set to his mouth meant he was royally angry. At me? Maybe he thought I'd done it, after all, he knew I'd killed Debbie. But then why was he bailing me out? It seemed I couldn't make sense of any of his actions any more.

"Can you walk?" He asked quietly. I just nodded and forced my feet to move. I wasn't shackled but I shuffled like I was. Eric was very patient, shortening his stride to walk beside me.

I made it to the front office where I saw Pam at the desk with my old friend Doug, filling out paperwork. She nodded to Eric and he stared at the female officer with us who unlocked the final gate. I stood there shivering from more than the cool night air. As she was still in the process of retrieving my stuff which included my coat, Pam removed her's and Eric wrapped it around me. Despite the late hour, quite a few of the cops on duty had come out to see me off, two stood holding the doors open so I would have to pass between them to get out. Hateful thoughts flooded my brain and I staggered under the spite.

Eric had one large hand at the small of my back, the other supporting my arm as he guided me smoothly from the building. I saw his car but he didn't head for it. In one fluid swoop, he picked me up and took to the air. As we left the roar of thoughts far below, my fingers curled into his shirt and I pressed my face against his familiar chest to hide the fact that the tears I'd been holding off all day were now pouring down my cheeks. He held me closer and I sobbed into him as he soared away from Monroe.

[***]

I hadn't asked where we were going and I found I didn't really care as long as it was away from the police station. We flew for a long time and I was glad of it. The horrors of the day continued to pour out of me, I didn't have the strength to stem the flow of my tears. Eric held me close and rested his cheek on the top of my head.

Eventually I felt him slow and land. Even then, it was a long time before I was able to look up. He stood holding me in silence, waiting patiently for me to pull myself together enough.

We were at my house. Eric put me down gently and kept hold while I found my feet. I realised I didn't have my purse or my keys. I stood, baffled by my locked front door, until Eric took my hand and led me round the outside of the house. I followed him obediently onto the back porch where he opened the kitchen door with a key on his chain then stepped aside to let me enter first.

In the blaze of light when I flipped the switch I realised the key was the one I'd given him when he stayed with me. I couldn't believe he still had it, and had figured out which door it was for.

"I thought that's what it was," he said seeing, or perhaps feeling, my surprise. "If I'd been wrong I could have broken in, or we could have waited for Pam." He waved me further in ahead of him and pocketed his keys again. I had the feeling he wasn't planning on giving it back any time soon.

The door to the pantry was open and I pushed it closed, ashamed of how bare it looked. From the various open drawers I knew the police had searched my house thoroughly. I was glad vampires didn't eat, I had no food to serve him. I thought there might be some blood in the fridge but before I could offer Eric guided me firmly to the couch. The soft cushions that Gran had recovered welcomed me and I grabbed the ugly old quilt off the back to wrap around me. Pressing my face into the material, I inhaled the comforting musty scent, glad of the familiar surroundings after half believing I was never going to see them again. Eric hesitated, a weird thing for him, then sat next to me.

I couldn't believe I was home, that he had come to get me. "How did you know where I was?" I asked searching his face. I was trying to figure him out but I was at a loss. He seemed to be searching my face as I searched his. I wondered what he was looking for.

"I have a lot of contacts," he said ambiguously. The disinterest in his voice didn't match the intensity in his gaze.

"I didn't think they'd ever let me out."

"Like I said, I have contacts," he replied. In the back of my mind, I thought I should feel it was wrong that someone could pull legal strings like that but the only thing I felt was grateful.

"Thank you Eric," I said seizing his hand and leaning into him. He kissed the top of my head and I noticed his shirt. "Oh, it looks like I've made a mess of yet another shirt," I said dabbing at the mucky wet patch on the front with corner of the quilt. "I can wash it for you if you like." Eric looked down at it.

"It is not a problem, I have plenty of shirts. You need to take a shower, then we will talk." There was an odd cast to his voice that I couldn't place, like he was trying to hide something but couldn't quite manage it. Eric was a master at mastering himself, I couldn't understand what would make him sound like that.

I started to pull myself together to stand. The silence of my house with only a vampire for company felt like sitting in a warm bath after being out in the cold all day. The quiet seeped into my mind like the heat seeps into your bones. I felt the tension start to lift enough for my brain and body to start functioning again. I still had hold of Eric's hand and I squeezed it briefly in thanks and for the feel of companionship after one of the loneliest days of my life.

He lifted my hand, brushed his lips over the back then held it to his cheek. His eyes were closed and it suddenly occurred to me, the last time I'd seen him was when we were kissing in the store room at Fangtasia. We were sharing another moment it seemed. In some ways the two encounters couldn't be more different, and yet …

As the muscles in his face relaxed it was like the calm spreading through me from the quiet and safety of my home was also seeping into Eric. My eyes sought out his lips of their own accord. Like the rest of him they were beautiful, and I knew they were soft. I found myself leaning forward slightly until my mouth was just a breath away from his.

A key turned in the front door and I pulled back. Pam came in carrying my purse and coat, and a large manilla folder. Eric dropped my hand from his cheek but didn't let go of it, then slowly opened his eyes to look at her. I couldn't read his expression but there was something there she was avoiding; ignoring our hand-holding, she dumped my stuff on the chair and handed Eric the folder.

She looked at me for a long moment then asked:

"Is there an appropriate platitude for someone who has been wrongfully imprisoned and will probably face the rest of their significantly shortened life in jail because human police are incompetent morons?" You had to love Pam.

"If there is I don't know it," I said. Pam looked like she was running through a list of phrases in her head. I knew she liked to collect human idioms and she often asked me the meaning or origin of the phrases I used.

"Sookie will not be facing any more time in jail," said Eric with certainty.

"They have a very strong case and no other suspects," Pam replied, but she didn't seem to be contradicting him, just adding to his information. I instinctively tried to withdraw from anything to do with my time at the police station but Eric kept a firm hold on my hand not allowing me to pull back into myself. Pam's eyes darted to our entwined fingers.

"You can go," said Eric opening the folder which he'd balanced on his knee. Pam frowned but the statement was more command than suggestion. She blew me a kiss and left.

[***]

When I came out of the bathroom, already in my sleep shorts and a Fangtasia tank top that I'd gotten somewhere along the way, I found Eric sitting on my bed. He had his back against the headboard, his long legs stretched out before him, and was rapidly flipping through the folder Pam had given him. There was a lot in it. He'd loosened his tie, though it still hung round his neck. The top few buttons of his shirt were open showing a hint of his chest. He'd also kicked off his shoes which were scattered across the floor. I picked them up and placed them neatly by the corner of the bed.

I noticed a fast-food bag on the mattress next to him, he nudged it towards me with his foot to indicate it was for me while still reading. I left it for the moment and sat in front of my mirror, combing out my hair while trying to ignore that Eric Northman was sprawling across my bed. At some point, I thought, I really should explain to him that simply climbing into a person's bed whenever you felt like it was not considered socially acceptable in modern America, even if it had been in Viking times. (Somehow I didn't think it had been, it was just an Eric thing.) But I wasn't going to say anything tonight.

"What did your lawyer say?" He asked. I paused and looked at his reflection in my mirror. After a cursory glance in my direction he continued to work through the folder. The whole scene felt oddly domesticated, not a word I'd ever expected to associate with Eric, well not this Eric anyway. I resumed combing, keeping my tone as impersonal as I could.

"That I could plead guilty and he'd try to get me a life sentence or I could plead insanity and go to an institution rather than face the needle." Eric stopped reading and looked at me in the mirror.

"That was all?" He frowned.

"Pretty much," I shrugged back at him. There were a whole bunch of other thoughts but nothing useful, and Eric had asked what he'd _said_.

"What's wrong with him?" Eric was still frowning. A small crease puckered between his brows and I felt an urge to smooth it out. I shrugged again, as well as I could while still working the knots out of my hair.

"He thinks I did it." I dropped my arms as I suddenly realised that Eric hadn't even asked if I was guilty. I didn't know if he somehow knew I was not or simply didn't care either way.

"Then hire someone else." Meeting mine in the mirror, his eyes were reproachful, as if accepting substandard legal advice constituted some kind of character flaw that I should work on.

"I didn't hire him, he was appointed," I explained, half defensive, half embarrassed. Eric looked at me for a long moment then went back to the folder. I resumed my grooming.

I had my shields completely down but all I could hear was the turning of pages as Eric sped through the folder, the slight creak of the headboard when he shifted occasionally and the familiar sounds of my home. It was bliss. Outside the trees whispered quietly among themselves as they supervised the night creatures that roamed the woods. There was also the familiar rumble that told me Eric had turned the heat on. I'd kept it off even though it was still quite cold, especially at night, and the pipes were groaning at the renewal of their work.

"Who did you call?" Eric asked after a few more brushes. I was grateful he wasn't pushing the lawyer issue, I really didn't want to get into my financial situation on top of everything else.

"Sam." This didn't seem to surprise him.

"He didn't come to help you?"

"I didn't tell him where I was." That did. He looked at me with his eyebrow raised. It was one of those things he did that always brought out fond feelings in me, like when Gran used to doob (she would potter around the house singing doobie doobie doo to herself). Even though he was looking at me sternly, I had to suppress a smile. I rushed out my explanation to cover my reaction. "I thought it was just some mistake that would get straightened out quickly and I'd be home. I didn't want to worry him. By the time I knew what was going on they wouldn't let me make another call." I felt really dumb for how naive I'd been. Eric's face looked a little tighter but he didn't say anything more about Sam. He turned to another page in the folder instead.

"Why are your fingerprints on the murder weapon?" It was my turn to be surprised.

"How did you know?" I turned on the seat to look directly at him. I always felt tiny in Gran's big old bed but he made it look small. Though I knew we could both fit in it comfortably – very comfortably.

"This is the case against you," he said lifting the folder slightly. I had suspected as much but had been deliberately not thinking about what that might mean.

"Are you supposed to have that?" I asked, cocking my head. I was pretty sure the police didn't just hand out copies of their files to people. Would it damage my case if it had been stolen and they found out?

"Does it matter?" He watched my face as I thought it through. I'd been raised to be law abiding, but the police were convinced I was guilty and didn't seem interested in actually investigating what happened. Without Eric I'd still be in that cell, possibly for the rest of my life. My stomach felt hollow from more than the lack of decent food as I remembered lying on that bunk.

"No, I guess not." I turned back and started braiding my hair. It was either that or throw myself at the vampire on my bed in gratitude, which while appealing on some levels, did not seem like the best idea.

"So, the fingerprints?" He pressed on. We were getting into an area I'd hoped to avoid covering with Eric but I realised now that I couldn't dodge around it. I kept my eyes away from the reflection of his in the mirror as I answered.

"I cleaned the gun, that's why my prints are on it." I could see the reluctance to share this information on my own face. I was looking better after my shower but still not great. There was a spreading bruise on my cheek and bags under my eyes that could carry enough for a month long vacation. I'd love to take a month long vacation right about now.

"You cleaned it? Why?" My reluctance had let Eric know that there was more to this than simply cleaning a shotgun and his face held a hint of the hunter that had caught the scent.

"I took a job cleaning for these people. They asked me to clean a gun that they'd been practising with. Jason taught me years ago how to clean a shotgun properly, he's real persnickety about it being done just right. I didn't think anything of it." I tried to sound casual hoping he wouldn't ask for all the details. It was embarrassing to have been treated the way the Kravinoffs had treated me. Even more embarrassing was that I'd let them, that I'd needed the money so badly I'd allowed myself to put up with it.

At the time I'd told myself it wasn't that bad but facing the prospect of retelling the whole thing I realised it _was_ that bad, it was that bad and then some. I could see him narrowing his eyes in the mirror and knew Eric wasn't fooled in the slightest by my tone.

"The police found no trace of anyone at the address you gave, no furniture or anything." He was trying to work out what I was struggling with, trying to decide the best way to get the information I was trying to hide.

"That's what I heard, but there was a whole family, mom, dad, grown up son, furniture, the whole nine yards." Eric just nodded and looked back at the folder while I finished securing my braid.

"Tell me about these people, the ones with the gun. Tell me everything," he demanded when I'd finished with my hair. He'd waited until I was done so I was dealing with him face to face rather than via the mirror. His tone and expression were plain, as he intended them to be, he really meant _everything_, including whatever it was I didn't want to talk about.

Sighing I moved to the bed and perched on the edge, looking at him. A warm smell drifted up and my stomach reacted with a gurgle. I opened the take-out bag and found a burger and fries. As I worked my way through them, I told Eric all I could remember about the Kravinoffs, from my first contact, to the last time I'd left, going into as much detail as I could. I even included Ned's lewd comments, the 'dad' 'hugging' me, and having to scrub the floor of the kitchen twice after 'mom' walked over it in dirty shoes while it was wet.

Eric's face got tighter and tighter as I went on but every time I slowed down he waved at me impatiently to continue. If I tried to skim over anything he seemed to know and glared.

When I was done with the full low down on the Kravinoffs, Eric tch'ed. He gave a big sigh and shifted uncomfortably. His whole body looked harder than usual and I realised nearly all of his muscles had tensed. After a moment he sighed again. He kept looking from the folder to me and back again. He was really angry and trying to control his temper, but I wasn't sure if it was the Kravinoffs or me that had infuriated him.

"Who told them you were looking for work?" he asked stiffly, reflecting the tight rein he was keeping on himself

"I don't know," I mumbled, mindful of his mood. "I never asked." Looking back now it seemed odd that they'd called out of the blue like they did but at the time I was just grateful for the work. Eric seemed to be having extreme difficulty not rolling his eyes.

"Why the fuck didn't you listen to them?" The leather strap of Eric's control yanked from his hand as his temper bucked. His sudden vehemence made me jump so much I nearly fell off the bed and had to grab his ankle to steady myself.

"I'd already lost two jobs because of hearing things I shouldn't," I said defensively, knowing he hadn't been speaking about what I heard with my ears. After patting his leg to apologise for grabbing him I folded my hands into my lap. Rather than calming down he seemed to get angrier. I knew from the tension around his mouth that he was fighting to keep his fangs in.

"Why do you insist on being so fucking reckless? You are determined to make it as easy as possible for people to hurt you. I've never known anyone so infuriatingly rash when it comes to their own safety. You are too damn trusting. You waste your gift." He was attacking me. I'd had enough of that at the police station. I'd been weighed down under the burden of my defect all day, not even able to explain to anyone what the problem was. Now I was finally able to talk to someone who knew about it and he was yelling at me for being stupid. Well I already felt plenty stupid enough, all by myself.

"Gift! - Oh, sure it's a real 'gift' For _you_. You get to use it when you want and ignore it when you don't. I'm stuck with it. Every moment of every day. In that police station with all those cops thinking what scum I am; how I'm stupid and a whore and worthless; how I deserve what will happen to me when I go to jail; how they wish they could watch; how they want to kill me; how they want to string me up and watch me die slowly. I get to listen to that! What a great _gift_. It's a shame we can't package it, I'm sure everyone would want it."

I'd been yelling but I hadn't seen the vampire before me while I did. The hurt and the anger just wouldn't stay in any longer. I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself and forced my hands to relax so my nails stopped digging into my palms. A tear had escaped and as I brushed it angrily away I realised what I'd just done. Guilt flushed through me. I couldn't believe I'd just taken it out on Eric

after everything he'd done tonight.

His free hand was resting on the bed beside him, I reached forward and squeezed it gently in apology. He'd remained completely still during my tirade and recovery, watching me with a blank expression that gave nothing away. Now he looked down at our joined hands and stroked the back of mine with a sweep of his thumb.

"Sorry," I mumbled unable to look at him.

"Why would you listen to the hateful thoughts of the police but not even check the thoughts of people you are working for?" He spoke calmly, as if neither of us had just been angry.

"Look Eric," I said reasonably, "it's not that simple. I can't just turn it on and off at will. It takes effort to put up my shields and if I let them down it's difficult to get them back up. I block as much as I can because if I listen in, it can be hard not to comment on what I hear and it makes people uncomfortable. People are entitled to their privacy, I try to give it to them."

I knew I'd hate it if I thought someone could read my thoughts, having them feel my emotions was bad enough.

"I think you are perfectly capable of not commenting on what you know when it suits you," he said softly but seriously.

"And we're back to this again." I'd finally managed to look at him but now I dropped my eyes back to my knees. He was giving me whiplash. He's hot and he's cold. He's sweet, he's angry. He's kissing me, he's firing me. The whole thing was in the past and should be forgotten, he wants to know more. Sheesh!

"I already told you what happened Eric. What do you want from me?" It came out more harshly than I'd meant it to. I wasn't sure my bed was the best place to have this conversation.

"I have a right to know! I want to know why I …" My eyes flew to his at the intensity in his tone. His face locked up. "Why were you working for them anyway? You already have a job," he snapped harshly. I wasn't sure what he'd nearly said and the abrupt change of subject made it clear I wasn't going to find out. I'd tried to pull my hand back from his but he was keeping a firm hold, not allowing me to end the contact. Throughout, his thumb continued to rub gentle circles on my skin, talk about mixed messages.

"What does that matter? I took a second job – or third job, however you want to look at it. It's not that uncommon."

"You are short of money." It wasn't a question.

"I'm fine." Eric gave me a pointed look and I caved. "Things are a little tight right now that's all. And I'm earning less while I'm at Fangtasia." I dropped my eyes and picked at the pattern on the quilt with my free hand, mumbling the last part so that I could barely hear myself. I really didn't want Eric to know just how bad my financial situation was.

"What do you mean you earn less at Fangtasia? The Shifter should still be paying you." He was really not made happy by the idea. His eyes blazed at me, they were the most stunning shade of blue. It took effort to pull my gaze from his but I did it and looked down again.

"He is, but the customers don't tip as well in the bar as they do at Merlotte's," I said quietly. "And I have the cost of gas on top." I kept my eyes lowered. Eric was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again his voice was more gentle.

"Sookie if you need money …"

"Then I'll earn it," I said firmly but gently back. "I'm not poor mouthing, you asked so I told you. I had some unexpected expenses and it means I'm a little stretched for a while. I'll figure it out, I always do. I'll get another cleaning job, preferably for people that aren't perverted psycho cop-killers." I tried to distract him from his line of questioning but he was un-distractable.

"What about the money I paid you for … when I stayed here?" There was doubt in his voice as if he didn't quite believe my home had also been his for a few days. He looked around the room. His grip on my hand tightened again. "If you had to pay for the fire damage I'll refund you, Charles was here to take revenge on me." I realised he'd been looking at the freshly painted walls. Even the rooms that hadn't been too badly damaged by the flames had needed full redecorating because of the smoke and water damage. I shook my head and squeezed his hand back to reassure him.

"The insurance covered the rebuild." This wasn't completely true but it wasn't why I was struggling now and I wasn't going to deceive Eric to get money out of him. Something in my emotions must have transmitted to Eric. "There was something else I had to pay for." I finally added after squirming under his demanding gaze for a long moment.

Eric looked thoughtful. "Your brother is wanted by the police." He glanced at the folder again, I figured the information on Jason was in there. I didn't say anything and avoided his eye. "You bailed him out then he didn't show for court and you lost the money," he persisted. Anger seemed to radiate off him like a furnace, despite his core temperature being cool.

No matter how upset I was at Jason, he was my brother and I found myself automatically defending him. I pulled my hand back from Eric's gently and drew my feet up to sit cross-legged facing him on the bed, my knee resting on his calf.

"It's not his fault. He can't help what happened to him."

"It says here he was caught exposing himself to a woman from her yard, how is this not his fault?"

"It wasn't like that, it was the full moon and he fell asleep after hunting that was all."

"I still do not see why he is not responsible for himself, weres are not too bright on the whole but they are usually able to get themselves home."

"He's still learning, he didn't ask to be bitten and anyway he can't risk going to prison. Even if he was willing, the other weres won't let him. He's already in trouble with them for getting himself arrested in the first place," I tried to explain. I could see from Eric's face he did not agree that my brother bore no responsibility but that was not what was bothering him.

"Why didn't he pay you back then?" Eric had his own strong sense of what was right and was far too cunning himself to let me get away with syphoning the blame away from Jason when he though my brother was in the wrong.

"He hasn't got the money. He's had to quit his job to go into hiding." I hadn't spoken to him about it actually but I liked to think he would pay me back if he could. I didn't even know where he was and hadn't heard a word from any of the weres. I missed my brother terribly. In some ways he was all I had.

I couldn't help but note that the two times I'd really needed my brother lately, when I killed Debbie and when I got arrested, he wasn't around. Neither time was that his fault but I also realised that in both cases it was Eric that had helped me instead. Eric, who was spread across my bed watching me carefully as I chewed on my lip trying to keep my emotions in check. Which was pointless as he could feel them anyway.

"You had an altercation with the dead human?" His business tone had returned drawing us back slightly from the growing intimacy. I could tell he didn't want me to dwell on my brother but the question wasn't changing the subject as much as he thought.

"It wasn't an '_altercation_'. That cop was thinking horrible things about Jason when he didn't show up for court, that's all. I got mad, then Sam came and we left." I knew how bad the case against me looked but everything was being taken wrong. The police had gone on and on about how I'd threatened the dead officer, how they had loads of witnesses. I didn't even remember what I'd yelled at Deputy Jacobs, I'd been too worried about Jason at the time. I felt dejected as I considered the pile of evidence against me.

"If you are killing people for thinking bad things about your brother, it's a good thing you can't read my mind," said Eric calmly. He was flicking pages in the folder back and forth going back over bits he felt were important.

"I didn't kill him," I insisted, my voice getting louder as I instinctively defended myself. Eric looked at me when I raised my voice at him and I bit my cheek contritely. He let it go with a smug little smile. Sneaky vampire, he wasn't going to let me feel sorry for myself so had baited me instead.

"The Shifter was there? When you argued with the dead human?" He moved on having achieved his goal.

"Yes," I nodded even though he wasn't looking at me but back at the folder. "He …" I sighed, this was only going to make it sound worse. Eric's eyes popped up from the page to regard me.

"He what?" His tone was coaxing but there was an underlying steel that told me I would have to tell him whether I wanted to or not.

"Sam stopped me from hitting him," I admitted, blushing a bit and tugging my tank top straight.

"A good thing too it seems," said Eric, not as bothered by this as I'd expected.

He was dialling his phone when I looked back up. "I need to know about an incident between Sookie and a policeman outside the Monroe court house," he said into it after a moment. "… Yes, it is very important … It is my business because I have just bailed her out of jail and this incident relates to the charges against her … Yes …" There was a very long pause at Eric's end. "That's exactly what she said? … Anything else?" He was looking at me now, he looked amused. "OK thank you … No … I'll let you know." Eric hung up. Vampires weren't big on the niceties, like hello and goodbye, especially on the phone.

"You threatened him," he said simply.

"I didn't! … Did I?" I tried desperately to remember my words but I was blank.

"You said: '_Look at you! Acting all holier than thou when I know you're nothing but a lying, cheating, scumbag. Just backup off me buddy before I take that badge you like waving about and stick it where the sun don't shine_.'" Eric said in a slightly higher than normal voice. "Then you tried to attack him physically before continuing with: '_I swear to God if you lay so much as one finger on my brother I will track you down and show _you_ some red neck justice.'"_ He chuckled as I blushed. "The man is lucky he is dead, I don't doubt your 'red neck justice' would be much worse than a shotgun blast to the face if he _had_ hurt your brother." Eric's eyes were twinkling.

"I wouldn't have killed him!" Just because I'd killed Debbie did he think I was happy to go around killing off anyone that I fell out with?

"No. You would have exposed all his secret thoughts to the scrutiny of his friends and family, merely making him wish he were dead."

"I probably wouldn't have done anything, I was just mad." I said more meekly to show I was not a violent avenger no matter how bad my track record looked.

"And you would have been even more mad if he had done more than think about hurting someone you love."

I wanted to deny it but I knew it was probably true. I remembered that, even before Debbie, I'd asked Eric to kill Lorena because she had hurt Bill, then I remembered I'd killed her myself. It was a good job the police didn't know my full body count, it was certainly starting to pile up. I sighed and looked down at my lap, none of this helped.

"Do you think the weres will hide me too? At least I'd be with Jason," I asked miserably.

"No. They wouldn't. And besides I will not allow it." I looked at him. "I paid your bail, you are my responsibility." He was really happy about this, judging by the way his eyes were smiling at me. His gaze became earnest. "I will be keeping a _very_ close eye on you." I became intensely aware we were sitting together on my bed. My heart rate increased and I was conscious of my breathing which sounded very loud. Eric smiled at me, pleased with my reactions. His leg seemed to be pressing more against mine. Our eyes were locked and suddenly I felt vulnerable.


	19. A Tale of Two Vampires

Dating in the Dark

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx.

Apologies for the delay, I'm such a busy bee at the moment. That said, time to get on with it. Now where were we …

* * *

**Chapter 19: A Tale of Two Vampires**

**Dating Do: Do use casual physical contact such as hand holding and footsies – of course it is usually best not to do this with two people at once, especially when you've already boinked them both.**

_His gaze became earnest. "I will be keeping a very close eye on you." I became intensely aware we were sitting together on my bed. My heart rate increased and I was conscious of my breathing which sounded very loud. Eric smiled at me, pleased with my reactions. His leg seemed to be pressing more against mine. Our eyes were locked and suddenly I felt vulnerable._

My breath was caught in my throat. I could almost hear the whip-crack as Eric broke the eye-contact and scowled towards the front of the house. A moment later there was a knock on the door. It was late, there was only one person it could be.

"Hello Bill," I said with a sigh. He'd already opened the screen and practically had his toes jammed up against the threshold when I opened the door so he was right in my face, almost touching. He looked straight past me with a chilling glare. I glanced over my shoulder, Eric was leaning casually in the doorway to my bedroom in his socks, his tie undone, his shirt half unbuttoned. His hair looked a little more dishevelled than it had been. He was such a brat. Bill's face was grim as he took a deep breath. Slowly he turned his eyes back to me.

"Sookie, you weren't at work, I was worried." He was trying to give the impression he'd just come by casually, to check on me, but something told me he'd heard Eric's call to Sam.

"I … umm … no, something came up." I didn't know why but I didn't want to explain to Bill about being arrested for killing a cop. It was different with Eric, he already knew I was a killer. Bill could be more judgemental in general and the part of me that regretted the loss of the innocent girl I had been was still able to pretend she existed when I was with him.

He was watching my face, waiting for me to explain. Much like the angry heat had radiated from Eric earlier, I felt the icy blast of Bill's anger as his eyes bored into me. I was extremely conscious of the large Viking standing in the doorway to my bedroom. Bill's expression went impossibly colder when I didn't speak and I closed my eyes in defeat, he would probably find out anyway.

"Oh fine, you'd better come in." I stepped aside to let him enter. Bill kept his eyes on me as he crossed the threshold. I could feel Eric staring a hole in my back too. "Do you want a blood?" I asked in an effort to avoid becoming as pit-riddled as an old paper target at a shooting range under the combined glares of the two vampires.

"Thank you," said Bill stiffly. I knew he wasn't interested in having a drink, he just wanted answers.

I turned to see what Eric was doing. He hadn't moved and, as I had suspected, his face remained expressionless while he watched me intently. Something about the way he stood told me he wasn't leaving.

"Sorry Eric, I should have offered sooner. It's been a long day." He was clearly not interested in whether I was a good hostess or not.

I went into the kitchen and pulled the last two bloods out of the fridge. I'd have to buy more, though I had no idea where I was going to get the money – even this cheaper brand was expensive. But with Bill coming by frequently and now probably Eric too, I'd have to have something in for them. It was either that or open the Sookie buffet. I had an image of them both feeding off me. It wasn't a nice one, more like alligators fighting over a carcass. I shook it off, I would find the money from somewhere.

The vampires had both followed me into the kitchen. Bill was hovering nearby as if I was going to run off and he might have to stop me. Eric was leaning against the far wall with that same steadfast gaze. Once the blood was heated, I turned from the microwave to find Bill standing so close behind me that I nearly dropped the bottles. I'd have to push past him to take one of them to Eric and I could tell Bill had no intention of moving voluntarily.

Clenching my teeth, I turned to the table instead. I stretched over to put both bottles on the side farthest from me, and slid into a chair. I kept my eyes on the table top to avoid looking at my guests. Neither one moved.

There was a long pause.

"Why weren't you at work?" Bill asked eventually from slightly behind me.

"I got arrested," I said without raising my eyes. Eric was opposite me, I could feel his gaze right on the top of my head, it made my hair tingle. Other than moving to the kitchen, I didn't think he'd so much as blinked since I'd opened the door to Bill.

"What for?" Demanded Bill harshly.

"Murder." My voice broke slightly and I cleared my throat but didn't repeat the word. I knew he'd heard me just fine.

"Who did you kill?" There was venom wound into the threads of Bill's cool tone and I winced internally. Eric folded his arms.

"I didn't do it," I said defensively mirroring Eric's movement.

I'd avoided answering his question, after all I _had_ murdered someone, just not the same someone I was currently in hot water over. I knew Eric had caught on to my evasion but he gave nothing away. Bill seesawed his gaze between the pair of us. "It's a mistake that's all," I added, my voice starting to break again.

"Why didn't you call me?" Bill tried to soften his voice but there was still the taint of accusation in his words. I unfolded my arms and looked at my hands, picking at a rough bit of nail. I couldn't now recall my reasoning behind the almost non-use of my phone access. Not that it mattered, there was no reason I could give that would satisfy Bill.

"I only had one phone call and I had to call Sam to tell him I wouldn't be in for work so he could cover my shift," I mumbled, aware of how stupid that sounded now, though I had been sure I was being practical at the time. Maybe I had been in shock. Maybe I still was.

I felt Bill sit next to me but refused to look at him. After a moment he grabbed the back of my head and forced it around. I hated it when he did that. He released his hold when Eric suddenly moved, striding towards the table. Scraping the chair loudly he sat opposite me, staring daggers at Bill. The manilla folder was on the table in front of him.

"Why are you here?" Bill asked Eric rudely, though he looked a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. Eric leaned back in the chair stretching his legs under the table so that one of his feet rested against mine. He picked up a bottle of blood and took a long drink before answering. I left my foot where it was.

"I paid Sookie's bail." He eyed Bill significantly speaking his next words slowly and clearly. "Which means, _I_ am now responsible for her." There was something threatening in Eric's tone.

"Bail?" Bill looked back at me. "I thought you said it was a mistake." He was angry with me. It was the verbal equivalent of being lifted and shaken. My psyche was already bruised from the mental battering I had taken all day and he was pressing at tender flesh. I swallowed.

"It is no mistake," Eric bit out. Bill looked back at him as I went white under my tan. I was a murderer, and Eric knew it. I deserved this for what I did to Debbie. Eric's leg shifted again so more of it was pressing against mine. The cool pressure offered the same comfort as a heating pad during my time of the month – it didn't get rid of the discomfort but was soothing just the same.

"Sookie has been framed." He went on. "There is some serious evidence that points to her and the victim was a police officer so they are not viewing that evidence objectively. I had to be very persuasive to get her released to my custody, but it would not be safe for her to stay there. Especially during the day when I cannot feel her." There was a hint of emphasis on 'I' that somehow dismissed the fact that Bill could feel me too. Bill glared at Eric seemingly too infuriated to speak for a moment. He found his voice soon enough though.

"Sookie is … not yours," said Bill. His fangs ran out and the atmosphere became dangerous.

I really couldn't cope with a vampire fight destroying my house on top of everything else. I looked at Eric in panic but he was unruffled, in fact the statement seemed to please him. A huge smile spread across his face and there was laughter in his eyes as he watched Bill in silence for a long moment before answering.

"She is in my custody. Which means, until this matter is cleared up, she will go nowhere and see no one without my knowledge." Bill was still showing his fangs but Eric seemed to view this like an adult threatened by a child with a toy gun. Slightly amused, completely unconcerned and with a condescending undercurrent of 'what do you expect from trash sired trash'.

He turned his eyes to me, dropped his air of mockery and continued in a more business-like manner. "I am trusting you to do as you are told while I straighten this out Sookie. If you disobey me I will be forced to hold you somewhere I can keep an even closer eye on you. Is that understood?" I nodded numbly. He had gone out on a limb to get me out, I knew that. The police had not been happy about letting me go with him. It was only fair that he would want to know where I was while I was on bail. At least he was letting me stay at my house.

"I need to work," I said. "But other than that I only really see Tara, though not so much since all that trouble with Mickey. I babysit for Arlene occasionally, and Bill of course," I added as my neighbour was giving me the evil-eye.

"You may continue your work for the Shifter and I will of course expect you at Fangtasia as usual." I got the point, no new cleaning jobs. "Tara is fine. I suppose if you insist on letting that red-headed woman take advantage of you I will allow that also." Eric turned his eyes slowly to Bill as if he were a curiosity, then back to me. I caught the slight twitch of his lip. "I confess I am a little surprised by your continued association with Mr Compton, considering …" Bill growled, his lip curling up to show even more fang. The light that appeared in Eric's eye made it clear he was enjoying himself. "But this too I will … allow." Eric wanted it to be very clear that he could keep Bill from seeing me if he chose.

I paused before responding. On one hand, though I knew he was just playing with Bill and wouldn't really try to stop me from seeing him (at least I didn't think so), I didn't like even giving the impression of being under his thumb. My independence, born of necessity from the isolating effects of my disability, was too much a part of my personality not to rebel at the idea. On the other hand I had more rights in Eric's custody than I would have had in jail. Eric seemed to know exactly what I was struggling with and waited patiently, watching my face as if it were a screen displaying my thoughts. Eventually I nodded, it could definitely be worse. Eric tipped me a tiny wink.

Bill was watching us like a tennis match, his fangs still out.

"Eric you cannot just take over Sookie's life like that!" I jumped, my heart wincing painfully in shock as he thumped his hand on the table making a loud bang and causing the bottles to teeter. Eric raised an eyebrow at the younger vampire. Under the table his long cool leg started rubbing against mine. He appeared unmoved by Bill's outburst but I wasn't sure he'd stay calm if Bill carried on yelling at him. I knocked my leg against Eric's as a half-hearted 'quit' but didn't end the contact. If playing footsies was going to stop him making a Bill shaped hole in my kitchen wall I was perfectly happy to go along with it. Above the table, I put my palm over Bill's fist to try and settle him before he punched straight through the wood.

Bill grabbed my hand with both of his and twisted us to face each other, trying to shut Eric out.

"You should come and stay with me, you will be safer. I will look after you." His tone diminished the effect of concern by making it sound like an order. Irritation prickled at my skin even though I really wanted to believe he was just worried about me.

"She will stay here," Eric said in a voice that would tolerate no opposition. "I have signed paperwork to that effect. Any change of address may be seen as a breach of her bail conditions." Bill growled at the sheriff again and I tugged on his hand so he'd look back at me. Eric continued before I could say anything. "And I assure you William, I will be taking _very_ good care of her, you do not need to worry about that." His leg was still rubbing against mine. I gave him a look to silence his baiting and turned back to my neighbour.

"Bill, it's OK." I smiled gently at him. "Eric has every right to insist I stick to the agreement he made. With everything that has already happened I _do_ need to be careful that they can't pin anything else on me." I asked for understanding with my eyes and begrudgingly Bill nodded. I could see the effort it took to put his fangs away, I exhaled in relief once he did.

Exhausted, I hoped they would give up taking turns pissing on me soon so I could go to bed. I didn't want to kick Eric out until he'd said everything he wanted to, after what he'd done for me, and I couldn't kick Bill out with Eric still here, it would hurt him too much.

"You should go to bed, you are tired," said Eric as if he'd read my mind, or maybe just my sagging body. Bill narrowed his eyes at Eric. Eric ignored him.

I closed my lids for a long moment. Once I couldn't see them, my brain was able to ignore the tension between the vampires and focus on their quiet. No thoughts, not even the sound of breathing, it was bliss.

"I _am_ tired," I told the darkness and blessed silence. Neither vampire moved to leave. After another long pause I decided I was just too beat to deal with them further. I forced my eyes back open and pushed myself up from the table, my palms flat on the top to brace myself for a moment 'til I was sure I was steady. "Thank you Bill for coming to check on me. I appreciate it." I said, patting his shoulder as I walked by him. He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it as he had taken to doing since our recent falling out. I gave him a sleepy smile.

"Sleep well Sookie," he said giving me that deep soft look that he seemed to save specially for me.

I turned from Bill and moved round the table. Then I surprised myself and both vampires by kissing Eric's cheek as I reached him. "Thank you Eric, for everything. I really didn't think I was ever getting out of there." My thanks were very sincere and my voice filled with emotion but after I'd said it I felt self-conscious. I dropped my eyes quickly to the floor. Eric took the other hand to the one Bill had kissed. Turning it over he kissed the palm. His lips were extremely soft and he took his time. Somehow it seemed a much more intimate gesture than Bill's, more sexual, though it was just a kiss to the hand.

He didn't say anything, just inclined his head gracefully, which was part permission to go and part acknowledgement or something. It made me want to stroke his hair. I left them sitting at my kitchen table and shut myself in my bedroom after placing Eric's shoes neatly outside the door.

[***]

An hour later, giving up on my attempt to sleep, despite how exhausted I was, I went back to the kitchen to see if my guests were still there. They weren't. The two bottles of blood were still on the table. They were untouched but for the small amount Eric had taken to make Bill wait for his answer. The waste hit me like a tragedy. I collapsed to the floor in tears.

I jumped when gentle hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up. Bill wrapped his arms around me and just held me. I was feeling so alone. Desperate for any comfort I clung to him tighter than was entirely decent. When I'd cried myself out I pulled away.

"Sorry." I dragged the back of my hands across my face, wishing I had a tissue. "Where's Eric?" I said to distract from my tear blotched face.

"He left." Bill's jaw muscles tightened. "Sookie perhaps I should stay here." He set me on one of the kitchen chairs and crouched before my knees.

"No." I shook my head. "The police will probably search my house again. It won't be safe. I'm working tomorrow anyway. I'll be fine." He frowned but nodded. After a thoughtful pause he spoke again.

"You know Eric …" I held up a palm to his face, interrupting.

"Eric saved me tonight. In so many ways. And it's not the first time he's done so. I'm not interested in hearing anything bad about him right now." Once again Bill frowned but nodded. Then he pulled back slightly from me.

"Are you …? I mean are you and he …?"

"He's my boss, and … my friend." I really wasn't sure beyond that and Bill wasn't the person to discuss it with.

"I'll stay with you 'til dawn," he said. It was more of a statement than an offer.

"Thanks," I had no strength to argue, and some company might be comforting, as long as he didn't ask any more questions.

He didn't. I climbed into bed and he lay on top of the covers beside me. He just wrapped himself around me and held me. I ignored the small part of my brain that whispered, '_it's the wrong vampire_'.

[~~~]

I was rudely awoken early the next morning by a loud banging. I rolled over and groaned, it felt like I'd only just fallen asleep. Naturally Bill was gone. The banging started again and I realised it was the front door. I grabbed my robe as I glanced at the clock, it was 6:30am. The banging became more insistent as I headed through the living room.

I wasn't really surprised to see the four police officers waiting on the porch when I opened the door. I invited them in as politely as I could manage (which involved standing aside rather than telling them to fuck off) and sat at the kitchen table as they tore my house apart. I tried to keep my shields up but enough seeped through that I knew they were making a mess on purpose. I kept my eyes on the table and just waited for them to be done.

The only time I moved was when one of them knocked the picture of Gran, Jason and me off the mantle. I picked it up from the floor and went back to my chair in the kitchen. The glass was broken but the frame and photo were intact. They'd challenged me with their eyes when I'd gotten up, they were hoping to goad me into a reaction so they could arrest me again. I'd said nothing and been careful not to so much as brush against any of them.

It might have been mean of me, but I didn't feel bad that there wasn't enough coffee to offer them some while they ransacked my house. Looking at her face through the cracked glass, I knew Gran wouldn't approve. She always saw other people's rudeness as an opportunity to show them what good manners were. I consoled my conscience that they probably wouldn't have accepted it anyway, in case I had poisoned it or something.

My pantry was depressingly bare, I would have to use my tips from today to get a few things on the way home. I was hoping Sam might let me take some leftovers home for dinner some nights to keep my grocery bill down, especially since Eric had said I couldn't take any extra work right now, though I understood his concerns.

My dreams had been full of him last night. First I dreamed that he and Bill were fighting over who got to claim me. They both had big flags on poles that they were trying to stick into my stomach as I lay on the floor between them. First one would plunge his pole at me but the other would tug me over out of the way then try to stab his flag into me instead. At some point the dream had morphed into Eric pushing a wholly different sort of pole into me.

Though more pleasant, the second dream was also more unsettling than the violence of the first. The first was easy to work out and not really surprising after the scene in my kitchen but the second – Unlike the other dreams I had of Eric, this time it wasn't the Viking with amnesia that had been pillaging me, it was the full on Sheriff taxing every bit of pleasure my body could produce. Every time I'd thought I was done he'd pulled another hidden reserve of ecstasy from me.

The officers from Monroe had been there an hour when Andy Bellefleur showed up. I wasn't pleased to see him at first, after what he'd said to the lawyer, but he didn't even look at me as he stormed into my house. He launched straight in on the nearest officer. Apparently they'd broken some sort of cop rule by conducting a search in his district without talking to him about it. They did look a little embarrassed though the one he was talking to tried to say something about colleagues and cooperation. Andy countered with something about search warrants and jurisdiction. After that they left, being chased out the door by a few more hot words from Detective Bellefleur.

Andy stood looking at the destruction that was my previously tidy house. He wouldn't meet my eye and hovered in the doorway uncomfortably. I got straight from his head that he wished he could just leave.

"Do you need anything Andy? It's just I've got to get my shower and get ready for work," I said giving him an out. He finally met my eye and gave me a pitying look as he waved a hand towards the mess. "Don't worry about it. I'll get it straightened out soon enough. It's just mess, I don't think they broke anything." Except the glass from the picture frame, and maybe my heart a little. He nodded, opened and closed his mouth a couple of times then nodded again and left.

I'll give him this much, I picked up that he didn't believe for one minute that I'd killed the Monroe Deputy. He did think I had terrible luck and that it would take a miracle for me to escape jail. He was also curious about the report that a vampire had bailed me out. He knew from the description that it wasn't Bill and wondered who it was and if Bill knew and what kind of power the vampire had to get a cop-killer out of jail.

I tidied enough of my bedroom and bathroom to get ready for work. The rest would have to wait until I got home after my shift. I did notice as I was tidying that the 'Team Jacob' sweatshirt I'd worn the day before had been taken out of the hamper and put in the trash, though I had no idea when Eric had done it. I left it there, there was no way I would ever be able to bring myself to wear it again anyway.

I refused to wallow, despite the mess my life (and house) was in. There were people in the world much worse off than me. I ironed the pants of my uniform, straightened my hair, and put on my make up. Just to make myself feel a little better I'd put on my good underwear too.

I had just enough coffee left to make a cup before I had to leave for work.

[***]

Sam was waiting in the parking lot when I arrived, leaning against the bed of his truck. Of course, Eric had told him I'd needed bailing out of jail.

"Something came up?! You get arrested and all you say to me is something came up!" He was very upset.

"Don't Sam. You have no idea how much I came to regret that." I stood a little way back from him and scuffed my toes across the gravel.

"Sookie, I should put you over my knee and spank you for not telling me you were in trouble." Luckily he didn't do this but strode forward and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug instead. "I'm so sorry chère. _Why_ didn't you tell me? When Northman called … are you all right? Do you need anything?"

"Air," I gasped, he hadn't let go yet. He chuckled and released me. Looking at my face he brushed a thumb over the bruise on my cheek and tch'ed.

Keeping hold of my hand he led the way into his office where he'd obviously set up in preparation for my arrival. He'd bought in one of the coffee machines, some beignets and even one of the chairs from his trailer, (the one that usually sat in front of his desk wasn't very comfortable). I was grateful he'd gone to the trouble and made the coffee while I set about telling him everything that happened.

He was furious when I got to the part about needing to take extra work. "Why didn't you tell me things were that tight? I'd have helped you out," he interrupted.

"It's only temporary, until I replace Jason's bail money," I said to calm him. It had the opposite effect.

"You paid that?" He sat up sharply and there was a slight shimmer in the air. I nodded, I hadn't really thought about it at the time but I realised now Sam would have offered to do something to help right away if he'd known. He brushed his hands through his hair agitatedly. "I assumed he'd paid it," he said more to himself than me, he seemed really annoyed with himself. I was about to point out it was not his fault or responsibility when he looked at me again. "He owns his house doesn't he? Why didn't he pay it?"

"The bail bondsman wouldn't deal with us." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at that then seemed to put it aside.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He chided gently. Just as I had done since my arrest, I knew he was going through all the opportunities there must have been to prevent me from getting into the mess I was in, but in the end you can't go 'what if-ing' your life away.

"He's my brother Sam, I don't mind helping him when he needs it. Besides I thought when I paid it that I'd be getting it back. By the time I knew I wasn't, it was too late to do anything about it." I shrugged. I was angry about losing the money but my anger wasn't directed at anyone in particular. As far as I could tell Jason hadn't had any more say in everything that happened than I'd had.

"He should at least have paid you back," Sam growled. I could see that, like Eric, he blamed Jason, but I believed my brother would have helped me if he'd been able to.

"Well that's a bit hard since we're not allowed to have contact," I snapped. Then I deflated, my anger leaving as quick as it had come. I hated being kept from my brother but it wasn't Sam's fault. He stayed silent and I went on with the story.

"So you still don't know how Northman knew you were there?" He asked when I was done. He'd deliberately avoided making any comments when I told him about the Sookie-off between Bill and Eric at my kitchen table.

"Well he's a sheriff, I guess he hears about stuff." Eric hadn't wanted to tell me and I figured I wasn't exactly in a position to push the issue. There was a knock on the door, then Holly stuck her head round.

"There's some man here asking for Sookie," she said with a quick smile before disappearing again. Sam and I looked at each other.

"Stay here," he said and went out closing the door behind him. He was back in less than a minute with a business card in his hand. "It's a lawyer. Eric sent him."

"Oh." I wasn't expecting that.

"Well go on, don't keep the man waiting. Trust me, he's charging by the second." Sam shook his head at the card in his hand again as I nervously patted at my hair and headed into the bar.

* * *

A/N: Just for clarities sake, this lawyer is not Mr C, Sookie doesn't meet the demon until later in the story.


	20. Close Encounters of the Vampire Kind

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

**Big big apologies for not replying to anyone this week, I am in the process of getting a new job and moving house so things will be a little hectic for a while. I will keep posting as much as I can though. **

**On we go :)**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Close Encounters of the Vampire Kind**

**Dating Don't: Don't look a gift Vampire in the mouth, you'll only find fangs. **

On my way home from Merlotte's I saw a propane tanker heading in the opposite direction reminding me that, along with everything else, I needed to figure out how I was going to pay for the refill on my tank that I needed..

The lawyer Eric had sent had been really good about making sure I knew my rights, the best way to handle any more contact with the cops, everything that would make sure I didn't make things worse for myself. I was grateful since I really didn't need to get any deeper in the doo-doo.

He'd already started to counter-act my mistakes and had been tying the police up in as many knots as they'd tied me. They'd apparently taken a few short-cuts when booking me, had just plain taken advantage, he was calling them on every little thing. He listened carefully and made tons of notes on the Kravinoffs. Unlike the police, he did believe they existed even if their names had been taken from a comic book. He also really perked his ears up when he'd found out my prints were already in the system.

I told him about how they'd tossed my house again that morning and what I remembered about Andy's comments. He promised to look into it and said that they had probably only been trying to rattle me. He asked if I'd given them permission to search, I said I'd just stepped aside as I was scared they would arrest me again if I didn't. He nodded and said he understood, before going through everything I needed to know if anything like that happened again..

He didn't baby me. Even with the mistakes the police had made, the evidence against me looked bad and as things stood, if we went to court there was a good chance I would lose. I was grateful for his advice and his honesty. Most of all I appreciated that he believed in my innocence. While we talked, I had listened in carefully, having learned my lesson with the Kravinoffs. I felt better knowing that Eric had indeed sent him, and had told him of my innocence. He knew vampires had their own ways of finding out that sort of thing so he accepted it, regardless of the evidence.

He was a sensible, careful man and I could tell he was good at his job. As we went over the case against me he was constantly running through possibilities and strategies, yet never once did he plan to lie or cheat. I was innocent, therefore they could not 'prove' me guilty, he just had to find ways to show that what they thought was evidence was not. I felt so much better after talking to him that I didn't even mind so much that I'd lost another shift's worth of tips.

As I pulled up to my house something felt off. I dropped my shields and scanned as far as I could. There was no one about. Even so I was cautious as I went up the steps and opened my front door. To my amazement the mess left by the police that morning had all been tidied away. I looked around, everything was in its place. It was as if the police hadn't even been there. Who would have done that? Only Jason had a key to the house and even if he knew my troubles, which I doubted, there was no way he could risk coming here. Maybe he'd given his key to Calvin or someone. I walked into the kitchen, like the living room it had been tidied. More than tidied, cleaned. Wow!

I sure owed someone big time. Double wow, when I opened the fridge to put away the take-out I'd mooched from Sam I was amazed to find it chock full. A creeping suspicion started to niggle at my brain and I opened the pantry. Full, jam packed full. I went back to the living room, looking around more carefully. The family picture was back on the mantle, a new piece of glass in the frame. That's when I spotted the box on the coffee table with an envelope on top. I plopped onto the sofa and stared at them for a while.

Eventually I reached out and picked up the envelope. An elegant hand had written _Miss Sookie Stackhouse,_ in large open handwriting across the front. The paper had that thick textured feel that told you it was good quality and a soft pleasant scent came from it. I turned it over a couple of times and opened it. Inside was a small photograph of Eric looking straight at the camera lens. He'd softened his expression somewhat so he looked more like the vampire that had stayed with me than the one who typically brooded in the middle of his club.

I flipped it over. There was a mobile number on the back. Another Wow! I knew almost no one had Eric's mobile number. Bill had bellyached all the time about having to go through channels to reach him. I couldn't understand why he would give it to me. I already had the number for the lawyer who'd told me, if there was any trouble with the police I was to say nothing to anyone and phone him immediately.

Flipping it back over to look at the picture, I realised the photo was the right size to fit in my wallet. I guessed so I'd have no excuse not to keep it on me. Did that mean I was supposed to call Eric or the lawyer if there was trouble? Maybe it was Eric at night and the lawyer in the day. I would have to ask him. There was also a piece of folded paper, good quality like the envelope. The same elegant hand had written the note.

_You will keep this charged and with you at all times._

I looked at the box on the table, it was a mobile phone.

_I expect to be able to reach you at any time. I will be checking. _

_**~E~**_

I was stupidly excited by the prospect of having a mobile phone, even if the reason behind it was a bit like one of those electronic bracelets they put on criminals. (Hell, Eric didn't need a phone for that, he could find me any time he wanted since I'd had his blood.) I'd never had a cell phone. I really couldn't afford it and it seemed awfully expensive since I was usually at home or work, both places with regular phones. But that didn't mean I hadn't coveted one anyway. We never stop wanting the toys that all the other kids have I guess.

I unpacked the box looking at all the different parts. There was a house charger and another one for charging the phone in my car using the cigarette lighter. A protective case to carry the handset in had been squashed into the box. It didn't look like it was part of the original contents but like it had been added afterwards. It was a pretty blue colour with a pattern sewn into the material that looked like runes. There were headphones too, with tiny padded ends that made the buds more comfortable in your ears. There was also a little book that explained all about the various features (I didn't understand half of the headings in the front but I was planning to read it carefully until I did).

The phone had already been put together and was charged ready to go, so I was confused that the instructions told me to do all this first. I moved on to the next step anyway, maybe I'd figure it out as I went. Next I read how to program in numbers. I didn't have that many I'd use but I figured I could put in my number and the one for Merlotte's and Fangtasia and Eric's mobile since he'd given it to me – I knew if the number was programmed in, the phone would tell you who was calling and I'd definitely want to know if it was Eric on the line.

It turned out his number was already programmed, as was the lawyer's, Pam's and Fangtasia. That was all though. I guess as far as Eric was concerned I didn't need any other numbers. I programmed in Merlotte's, then Jason's number (even though he wasn't there) and a few other friends. I knew all these numbers by heart but I was having fun with the phone so I put them in anyway. I spent a happy 15 minutes listening to the different ring-tones several times and picking one. Then I moved on to texting. I thought it was going to be really hard but actually the instructions were clear and I managed to type a message quite easily, if slowly. I deleted it, I didn't have anyone to text. Then I typed a new message and hovered with my finger over the send button.

[~~~]

The text was still on my phone waiting to be sent when I woke up the following morning. It wasn't that I didn't _want_ to thank Eric, it was that a text didn't seem enough of a thank you. I'd found the paperwork from the Propane people stuck to the back door and realised the tanker I'd seen had been leaving my house. All my cupboards were stocked, there was even firewood in the basket by the hearth and a big pile out the back too.

No, I couldn't just send him a text. He'd gotten me out of jail, arranged for a lawyer and phone and even provided food and heat. I remembered he'd arranged to have my driveway fixed before. It wasn't just the basics either, it was everything. More poignantly, he'd held my hand. He'd held me while I cried. I remembered from Dallas that he hated crying women, but he hadn't said a word.

I had to do something for Eric, but I had no idea what. Even if I had the money the only thing I'd ever known a vampire be given as a gift was a 'meal' and I wouldn't know how to do that even if I was prepared to. I could give him my blood, but I wasn't sure how I'd go about that either, or even if he'd want it. Perhaps I should ask Pam.

Of course, I did know one thing he wanted, something I could give him.

Soon after the sun set I dialled Fangtasia, Ginger answered.

"Hey hon'. You OK? You left early the other night. Pam said you were having palpitations." It took a moment to remember what she was talking about, my last shift at Fangtasia seemed an age away with everything that had happened since. Then I remembered the state I was in after Eric had kissed me. That Pam!

"I'm fine. Is E … Mr Northman there?" I hadn't wanted to use the cell number he'd given me in case that was only for emergencies.

"Hang on, I'll check if he's free." There was some cheesy pop music playing in the background. They weren't open yet and Ginger often put one of her own CD's on while they set up. There was a click on the line, then another and I could no longer hear the music.

"I am here."

I hesitated, not sure how to say what I wanted to say.

"Sookie?"

I considered and rejected several approaches. I really should have figured this out before I called.

"Sookie, is something wrong? You are very anxious." Wow he could feel me all the way from Shreveport.

"I … er … I wanted to say thank you," I breathed. This shouldn't be so hard.

"You are my responsibility. I take my responsibilities seriously," he said sounding relaxed and amused. "Do you have everything you need?" His tone had shifted to curiosity, presumably because he could feel my anxiety continuing to constrict my internal organs.

"More than I need, _thank you_. You shouldn't have … I … thank you."

"This is not why you called." Eric quickly became impatient with my stammered thanks. "You want something?"

"NO! I mean, no, thank you." Good Lord, I didn't want him to think I was going to ask for more, he'd already done far too much for me. "I wanted to … Do you think we could … talk about something? When you have some free time. I mean. I know you're busy …" I was really making a mess of this.

"I am not busy now." He sounded really curious by this point.

"Well I kinda wanted to do this in person, and at my house. I …" I felt awful asking him to come all this way but it seemed the best setting for what I had planned.

"I'll be right over."

"Oh, well, great, if you have the time."

"I do." He hung up.

I tried to still my racing heart. I had decided to do this, I was going through with it.

Eric arrived amazingly quickly. He didn't knock but walked straight in the back door making me jump.

"Did I scare you?" He asked, looking pleased with himself.

"I'm fine, I didn't hear you is all. Y'all are so quiet, I'm always tempted to get y'all collars with little bells on," I threw back without thinking. I was too busy trying to slow my heart again. Hanging out with vampires is one way to ensure you never need a cardiovascular work-out.

Eric was looking unimpressed with my suggestion. A bubble of laughter jumped out of me and I caught it with my hand as I suddenly envisioned him with a bell round his neck. Eric wasn't a small round kitty bell kind of guy, somehow I could only picture him with a cowbell that for some reason was tied on with a red ribbon. He seemed to have some idea of what was running through my head and tried to hide his own amusement under a highly arched brow.

"This is what you wanted to discuss? Bondage wear?" My jaw dropped. Clearly the picture he thought was in my head was not the one that had actually popped up.

"What? No, of course not." Eric was laughing as I blushed. "I … er … do you want a blood?"

"No thank you." He was watching me closely. Well, I told myself sternly, blowing out a long breath, I'd committed to do this, time to get on with it.

I took his hand, which seemed to surprise him, but he let me lead him into the living room. I already had the blanket on the floor and the fire lit, though it was almost too warm for that. Eric looked at me questioningly. I simply tugged on his hand as I dropped to my knees before the fire. His eyes never left mine as he knelt next to me, his face a picture of curiosity.

"The night I found you, I was driving home from my shift at Merlotte's. You were running down the side of Hummingbird Road near the turn to my house." Realising what I was doing, Eric looked enraptured. His entire focus locked onto me in a way that should have been terrifying. "When I pulled over you didn't recognise me and for a moment I thought you were going to attack me but then I realised you seemed a little …" I paused.

"What?" he asked eagerly, urging me to continue.

"You looked a little scared," I said apologetically. Actually he'd been closer to petrified but scared would do for now, especially as he was looking so sceptical. I pressed on. I told him every detail I could remember about that night, soft pedalling his uncertainty since he looked unhappy each time I mentioned it. He was amused by the red bikini underwear, or perhaps by how much it still made me blush.

"You let me stay in your bed?" He was looking more interested even than he had been, as I explained about us lying together holding hands. He leaned in a little closer as if it would bring him closer to the events I was recounting.

"Well you were … not yourself." He was watching my face, his gaze darting down to my lips a couple of times. His eyes looked deeper than ever and I knew there was a lot going on behind them. "And I was real tired, I just figured you didn't want to be alone right then – since you didn't remember anything an' all." My heart was banging loudly against the door I was trying to keep it behind as Eric got even closer to me, asking his questions without saying a word. "Anyway, I fell asleep pretty much right off." I leaned back from him in self-preservation and shrugged to say it was no big deal. Eric didn't look convinced but I moved swiftly to the next night. He didn't seem too interested in the stuff with Pam but he did narrow his eyes once or twice. I guessed Pam had already told him all that and I wondered how her version of events differed from mine.

"So after they left I was sitting in the living room, just wondering how I always managed to get mixed up in this stuff – with all you supes I mean – and you came and sat with me here, in front of the fire." I waved a hand to explain why I'd set the scene as I had. "We lay under this old blanket and chatted about stuff. It was nice." I smiled at him.

"That blanket is truly hideous," Eric said barely glancing at it. I looked at him in shock. "What?" he asked.

"That's exactly what you said that night too," I said watching his face carefully. His eyes went unfocused for a minute but then he shook his head.

"I have no memory of any of this." He frowned and a familiar crease puckered between his eyes.

I smiled sympathetically. "So, we talked for a bit, about my life and stuff."

"We talked about your life? What did you tell me?" This seemed to really interest him.

"Well first we talked about Bill, and I had to tell you all what had happened in Jackson cuz' you couldn't remember any of it. It was nice for me because usually I don't get to talk to anyone about all this secret vampire stuff." I smiled at the fire remembering. Sinking into the memory myself for a moment I sighed. It's a weird sensation to be missing someone when they are sitting right in front of you, sort of.

Suddenly Eric jumped up and started pacing. He was ranting to himself in a language I could not understand, his whole voice had changed. His accent had become not just that of a different nation, but that of a different time, a different world.

"Ölr ek varð hann stelr geði guma uppi er þá geð guma hinn er vætki veit at augabragði verðr Ósnotr maðr." I had no idea what he was going on about but he sounded pretty darn ticked.

"Eric? What is it?"

"Þat ek þá reynda hugi ek hverfi ok sný ek hennar öllum sefa hold ok hjarta ég hafði in mani mær þeygi ek hana at heldr hefik."

"Eric!" I said a little louder, trying to get him to at least rant in English so I'd have some idea what the problem was. He didn't pause in his strides or look at me but did switch to English.

"I don't remember any of it. This vampire you are talking about is a stranger to me, I do not know him. He sounds nothing like me at all." He was getting angrier as he paced back and forth. I pushed my back against the sofa to give him room as he resumed muttering in what I assumed was Viking-speak.

When he didn't show any signs of calming I interrupted again.

"You were very different in some ways, which is understandable seeing as you didn't even know your name when I found you." A void, he'd said at the time. He'd been a void. I suppressed my shudder at the memory of that phrase and kept on trying to soothe him. "You were still yourself in other ways though." He stopped pacing and turned to look at me, there was a kind of need in his gaze. I knew it was vitally important I justify the claim I'd just made. I thought furiously. "You were still strong and brave," I assured him. "And curious about everything," I remembered fondly. "You were still stubborn and proud at times," I teased lightly, trying to smile. He continued to look pissed. "And …" I searched my brain for a good example of Eric-like behaviour. The trouble was, to me he'd seemed most like himself when we laughed together in bed. I wasn't sure of a good way to phrase that.

"This is POINTLESS," he yelled, kicking my coffee table into the wall where it broke into pieces. I gasped, pushing back harder against the sofa. Tears filled my eyes. Not for the table, for how horribly wrong the evening had gone. Eric stood motionless in the middle of the room looking at the splintered remains that littered the floor.

"Eric, I'm so sorry. I wanted to do something nice for you." A tear had broken loose and I swept it from my chin with the back of my hand. "I swear, I thought this was what you wanted. To know all the details. I didn't mean to upset you. I am really sorry." He didn't move so after a sniff I continued to try to explain. "I was so grateful to you for everything you've done over the last few days. I thought I could pay you back some by filling in the blanks, that's all." He remained motionless. "I'll never mention it again if you don't want me to," I pledged gravely. Some thank you, I'd only succeeded in making him frustrated. I should have spoken to Pam first.

Eric was before me looking into my face. I hiccupped in surprise.

"Sookie, I am sorry. I am not angry with you," he said softly. "And you owe me nothing. Even without my memories I know that when I was being hunted, when I needed shelter and comfort and … sustenance, you provided for me." That was an extremely polite way of putting it, especially for Eric. For a minute he seemed the other Eric again. Another tear escaped my eye. He brushed it from my cheek with his thumb which he then sucked clean. "I am repaying you, that is all," he continued. I shook my head to let him know that I didn't entirely agree but wasn't going to fight him on it. He didn't flash his usual grin of triumph though. "I am sorry you were scared. I have no desire to hurt you Sookie, I wish you knew that." I nodded but he still looked sad.

"I believe you won't hurt me. Or as much as I can believe that about anyone." I was a little more jaded in my trust these days. "I'm just upset that my plan has gone so wrong. I really did want to do something nice for you," I tried to explain. A look appeared in Eric's eye, a familiar one. It was amazing how quickly he could jump from one emotion to another, one mood to the exact opposite – well to me, I'd found anger and lust often go together for vampires.

"So exactly how much of our time together were you planning to act out?" He asked with a leer. He was so close to me now that I could feel his breath on my lips when he spoke. His choice of words were exactly what I thought in my head when I remembered; 'our time together.' It made me nervous the way he so often appeared to read my mind. But then most other people didn't seem to get me at all.

"_Just_ the laying on the floor," I said firmly, pulling my face back from his and trying to hide my smile. What was it with Eric and gratitude sex? He laughed and I let my smile show.

"What a pity," he said but he pulled back too. He seemed completely calm again, if it wasn't for the gap where my coffee table had been I could have thought I'd imagined his outburst.

My phone rang in the kitchen and I went to answer it, glad of an excuse to move. I didn't have Eric's ability to shift moods quite so quickly and was still catching up. Being with Eric could be like hanging out with a dysfunctional robot that keeps glitching from one setting to another without warning.

I picked up the receiver. It was Bill.

"Are you all right?" He asked as soon as I answered. I rolled my eyes to myself.

"Of course." I glanced at Eric who was smirking at himself in the mirror over the fireplace. I quickly turned my back so he couldn't see my expressions.

"Are you sure? I could feel …" Bill was agitated. Damn blood. Still, at least he hadn't come over.

"Oh, sorry about that, but I'm fine, really. Just something I was trying to do didn't work out," I said vaguely.

"Do you want me to come over?" There was something in his tone, like he really wanted me to invite him, or perhaps needed me to.

"No it's fine, I'm in the middle of something." I glanced suspiciously at Eric's back, he was still primping in the mirror. I wouldn't put it past him to have told Bill he could only visit me if _I_ asked _him_.

"But you were feeling …" He pressed

"I'm sorry about that Bill, really, but I'm fine now." Surely he could feel that too.

"OK, well let me know if you need anything." Bill was disappointed but at least not pushing the issue. I'd see him tomorrow anyway for telepathy training.

"I will, thanks Bill." I hung up. Turning back I watched my visitor carefully, wondering if I dare ask him about what I suspected. I didn't want to upset him again.

"Why did you apologise?" Eric asked before I could say anything.

"What? Oh, well … he was worried and …" I thought about it. Why had I apologised? For having emotions? I frowned at myself. I didn't like to worry people but it wasn't my fault he could feel me and I should be able to feel my own feelings without worrying I was upsetting someone else. Eric nodded with satisfaction. He'd made his point and didn't feel the need to push the matter further. I looked at him.

"Did you tell Bill he couldn't come over unless I invited him?" I asked outright. There wasn't any accusation in my tone, I just wanted to know.

"Yes." Eric's response was punctuated as clearly as if he'd said 'period' after it, he'd closed the subject.

He sat on the couch, stretched his legs out in front and his arms along the back looking completely at home. Oddly it felt right seeing him like that. When he spoke it was like the call from Bill hadn't happened.

"Well, if you want to do something nice for me, and you won't let me do something nice _to_ you, perhaps you will let me take you to dinner," he said offhandedly.

* * *

A/N: Eric's Old Norse is taken from the sagas. I've mixed up phrases from different parts and edited the odd word using Icelandic (as I understand this to be the closest modern equivalent). Anyway, from what I can gather, this is what it's meant to say:

Ölr ek varð / I was drunk

hann stelr geði guma / he steals mind of man

uppi er þá geð guma / the mind is the man (upstairs is the minds of men)

hinn er vætki veit / he who knows nothing

at augabragði verðr / at an instant becomes (becomes a mockery)

Ósnotr maðr / foolish man

Þat ek þá reynda / I proved (experienced) that

hugi ek hverfi / I turned her mind

ok sný ek hennar öllum sefa / and changed (soothed) the whole of her feelings

hold ok hjarta / body and soul (flesh and heart)

ég hafði in mani mær / I had in the girl (bondswoman) maiden

þeygi ek hana at heldr hefik / but still I do not have her


	21. Dances with Vampires

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

******Many many thanks for all your messages. I will try to find some time to get back to people as soon as possible, but in the mean time much love to you all xx**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Dances with Vampires**

**Dating Do: Do ask for help if you do not understand the menu – it is always best to know what's for dinner – especially if it might be you.**

_Eric sat on my couch, stretched his legs out in front and his arms along the back looking completely at home. Oddly it felt right seeing him like that. __When he spoke it was like the call from Bill hadn't happened._

"_Well, if you want to do something nice for me, and you won't let me do something nice **to** you, perhaps you will let me take you to dinner," he said offhandedly. _

I decided to ignore the sexual innuendo. That was just Eric, he seemed unable to speak without it.

"How is _you_ taking _me_ to dinner something nice for you?" He didn't even eat. Unless I was the dinner? The thought made me pucker my face slightly and Eric must have followed it because he let his eyes stroke appreciatively over what I knew was a favourite bite point before answering.

"Several ways actually; There is a new restaurant targeting vampire clientèle that I want to try and this gives me an excuse. It also gives me an excuse not to go back to Fangtasia and fill out tax forms, Pam will have to do it. Plus if I am not there, she cannot nag me about … well, it serves many purposes." He was looking round the room casually as he spoke but then suddenly his gaze pounced onto me, a glint lighting his eye. "As a bonus it will almost certainly irritate Bill." He flashed me his wicked grin and I huffed at him.

"Why do you like to do that? It makes it very hard for me to be friends with both of you." I chided gently. I was genuinely curious as to why he liked teasing Bill.

"Will you come to dinner?" Eric wasn't one to change subjects until _he_ was ready.

"I can hardly say no under the circumstances." I smiled to show I wouldn't have said no anyway. "Is the restaurant fancy? Should I change?" I looked down at my jeans and LSU Tigers sweatshirt thinking if I was going to be seen with Eric I'd change even if we were going to Burger King.

"Yes. I will pick something for you." Before I could protest Eric was already in my closet. I followed at human speed planning to explain I could pick my own clothes and throw him back out to the living room but he was already holding out a dress when I got there.

It was black and I didn't recognise it.

"What's that?" I asked suspiciously.

"It's a dress," replied Eric smoothly.

"I know it's a dress smart-ass, but it's not one of mine." Eric peeked over his shoulder at his own butt as if he didn't know what the phrase I'd used meant. I ignored him (and my own reaction at any reference to Eric's best ass-et – har har). I grabbed the dress out of his hand and looked at it properly.

"It was in your closet," he shrugged looking back at me.

"But where did it come from?" Pulling the neck out, I looked down the inside of the dress as if the answer would be hiding in there.

"I thought we'd just covered that." Eric raised his eyebrow. It was clear to me that he didn't really care where the dress had come from, he expected me to wear it just the same. I looked at the label. It was my size. I felt my forehead wrinkle. Maybe I had bought it ages ago and just forgotten. Eric was standing expectantly before me.

"Fine, but you'll have to leave the bedroom if you want me to change." He left after throwing me an annoyingly adorable pout.

As I was changing I heard him opening drawers and cupboards. As soon as I had the dress on I went out to see what he was up to.

"What _are_ you doing?" I said as I walked into the kitchen to find him crouched with his nose in the cupboard under the sink.

"Snooping," he said simply, standing up. "It looks perfect." He smiled and nodded at the dress. I smoothed my hands down it with self-conscious gratification.

The dress was, as I said, black. It was sexy, without being overly revealing. The skirt came almost to the knee and even though the girls were safely tucked away the cut accentuated all the right parts of my figure making me feel seductive. I probably wouldn't have picked it for myself, it wasn't the most comfortable thing I'd ever worn, but there was no denying it looked good on me. The material was beautiful and I'd coveted enough of them through shop windows to know it was designer even if I didn't know the label. Which still begged the question of where it had come from. I looked suspiciously at Eric. He looked innocently back.

"I just need to put some make-up on and fix my hair. Try to behave yourself for a few minutes would you?" I said. For all my suspicions I had no proof and why would Eric be buying me clothes anyway? Especially designer dresses. It's not like with the coat, not really.

"I can _try_," he agreed with a smirk that suggested he planned to fail in his attempt.

A few minutes later he appeared, lounging on my bed, as I stood before the mirror, rolling my hair into a French twist. One second I was alone in my room, the next he had his head on my pillow and was playing with his phone in an obvious way, clearly expecting me to ask what he was doing. I was curious but I ignored him and said nothing.

Despite getting me to dress up, Eric was still in his jeans and a t-shirt he'd obviously had made after the witch war. On the front, spoofing the writing from the posters the witches had put up, was: **'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS VAMPIRE?'** written across his chest. On the back it said: **'GORGEOUS ISN'T HE!'** Modest and Eric were not two words ever likely to meet. I wondered if he were planning to stop at Fangtasia to change on the way to wherever we were going. On the other hand, Eric would probably show up for a meeting at the White House in his jeans if it was what he felt like wearing. I couldn't imagine a restaurant manager brave enough to refuse him service for being under-dressed.

I finished putting my hair up and reached for a perfume, automatically grabbing the Obsession though I didn't wear it often. I had already put it on when I realised it was the one Eric had told me to wear once before. I glanced in the mirror to see if he'd noticed. He was smiling in a self-satisfied way but apparently focused on his phone.

As we stepped out of the house Pam pulled up in Eric's car. He must have flown to my house earlier. Walking towards Eric, she handed him a shirt and tie with a frown on her face. She didn't stop to chat but blew me a kiss before giving Eric another unhappy look and disappearing into the trees.

Eric stripped off his t-shirt, flinging it onto my porch swing, and handed me his tie to hold as he put on the shirt. His smooth pale skin glowed softly in the moon light, complementing the distant orb. I must have given something away because he was grinning smugly as he took the tie from me and slung it round his neck. I forced myself to look away from the easy confident movement of his hands knotting the silk and moved towards the car.

As I ungracefully tumbled into Eric's Corvette, I started to suspect why he had chosen this dress. The soft satin material slid right up my thigh as I sat and the bodice had a corset-like cut that pushed my breasts almost out of the dress. I shifted trying to cover up more and glanced at Eric whose obliviousness was more overacted than a Jim Carrey character. He managed to 'unintentionally' brush my thigh with his fingers as he released the hand-brake. I didn't move my leg away, pretending not to notice.

"Is Pam upset about something?" I asked to fill the silence.

"It seems none of her shoes fit at the moment, every single pair she owns is half a size too small," he said a smirk teasing his lips.

"Huh?" It's not like Pam's feet could change size and she had a lot of shoes.

"I know it is most odd. I offered to trim her feet for her but it seems she is willing to manage until the problem resolves itself." OK so maybe Pam's feet _could_ change size, temporarily at least. Eric was looking very pleased with himself as he presented this information with the air of someone who is 'accidentally' flashing their engagement ring. He must have gone to some effort to replace every single pair. I nearly asked, then decided I didn't want to know what Pam had done to earn this punishment. It was almost certainly shoe related, his punishments always fit the crime.

When we got to the restaurant, the Maître d' shouldered past two waiting couples to greet Eric and offer 'one of their finest tables for him and his lovely companion.' As we walked he looked me over carefully. He wasn't judging, he just wanted to be sure if I was human or vampire in order to offer the right kind of service. It still amazed me that most people couldn't tell right off. My tan must have faded more than I thought.

The décor was all rich Tuscan hues making the room feel warm even through the gentle movement of the air conditioning, though I thought, come summer, it would feel stifling when busy. Soft lighting gave the place ambience, dim enough to feel intimate but bright enough for human customers to see what they were eating. As we walked I caught a drift of appetising odours that was tempting without being overwhelming.

An undercurrent of classical music flowed around the diners at a level that encouraged muted conversations. The tables were also spaced far enough apart to allow the feeling of privacy, leaving a space in the middle of the room which told you they were not trying to crowd in as many as possible. They had done a good job of creating an opulent atmosphere but the newness of the place made it all seem contrived. To my mind, genuine character came with time.

Eric ordered for both of us after I realised that, despite being in English – sort of – I couldn't understand the menu. Then, as I sipped my way though the smoothest wine I'd ever tasted and marvelled that plain old soup could taste so good, Eric asked me all about what the lawyer had said. He brushed off my thanks and simply pushed for the details of our conversation, asking lots of questions that hadn't even occurred to me. I quickly started to wish Eric had been at the meeting.

"I think perhaps, we should arrange for the three of us to get together at some point. I want to be sure we are all on the same page," he said when I was done.

"He did say that if anything happened regarding the case, I was to say nothing to anyone and just call him." I looked at Eric questioningly. I didn't want to keep calling him when he was likely to be busy with his other responsibilities but I could hardly refuse to keep him informed when he'd arranged everything.

"During the day that is probably best," he said lightly. He wasn't going to insist I called him, but clearly he'd rather I did.

"I really am very grateful for everything you've done Eric." Eric looked bored for a moment but then suddenly leaned forward over the table towards me.

"Are you really? How grateful?" His tone change shifted the whole mood. My mouth popped open in surprise and Eric's gaze caressed my lips.

"Eric," I shushed leaning towards him also so I could speak quietly, though of course he could hear me anyway. "I have told you before, that is not a reason to …" I gave him a look that clearly completed my sentence with a 'you know.'

"So what was the reason we …" Eric's non-completion of the sentence was much more pointed than mine. He was teasing me. I blushed.

What had made me give in? My lust? His vulnerability? The fact that Eric Northman was standing naked in my shower covered in soap-suds? His butt! Well I wasn't about to tell him that. To avoid answering, I moved back a bit and glanced round the room. I saw several pairs of eyes flick back to their own tables. Eric was watching me through all this in fascination. "Hmm," he speculated as he too moved back. After another moment he pulled his eyes from me to flick over the room too. "I would love to tell you no one is listening, but that is not true. It is not often I've spent time with a woman so that _she_ could eat. I'm afraid it has caused quite a bit of interest."

I looked at him. He seemed relaxed. He was leaning back in his seat, his legs sprawled under the table, one hand came up and ran through his hair as he contemplated the fact people were looking at him. I suppressed a smile at his primping and his eyes refocused on me. I guess he'd felt my amusement.

"You don't date?" I asked, part still laughing at him and part genuinely curious.

"Not usually." His answer left me wondering. Was this a date? It certainly had many date-like qualities but I hadn't been thinking of it in those terms. I became even more self-conscious. Eric lifted one hand and signalled the waiter to pour me more wine. The main course arrived just then too. There had been a whole bunch of blood-based fancy dishes that vampires could order but Eric had simply ordered some specially mixed blood that came in a golden carafe mounted over a small heat source to maintain the temperature. It was served with an opaque goblet instead of a glass to hide the viscous nature of the drink.

He poured a little more from the carafe while I took a deep whiff of my plate and tried to figure out what smelled so good. I had no idea what he'd ordered for me.

"What about you? Any more dates planned?" He asked. The ambiance had shifted again and it now felt like we were just two friends catching up.

"You mean because I'm so good at it?" I offered with a smirk. He laughed.

"I take it that wasn't your first."

"Bad date? No, they all pretty much end up like that. Though I think you might have witnessed one of the more spectacular endings." As embarrassed as I'd been at the time, the whole thing seemed funny at this moment, sitting in a restaurant with Eric. After all, David had had a worse night than me in the end and I hadn't come to any real harm.

Throughout the main course and dessert (an amazing chocolate edifice that looked like it had been created by an artist) I regaled Eric with stories about the dates I'd been on and he told me tales of some of the women he'd known (two of whom were historical figures I'd heard of, though he dropped their names casually into the conversation as if they were old high-school teachers or some other mutual friend). We laughed easily, it was amazing how comfortable I felt with him. We continued to attract the attention of some of the other couples but I was used to being stared at (as was Eric). At least in a ritzy place like this they tried to be subtle about it.

As I sipped my coffee, though I felt I couldn't have eaten another bite, I almost wished there was another course so that the evening wouldn't have to end just yet. At almost the same moment I had that thought, a curtain at the front of the room was drawn open and a sequin-clad singer stepped up to a microphone. She stood alone on a small round stage that was set only a foot or so from the floor but the regnant strains of the music that started up, attested to a live band hidden somewhere behind her. Her rich contralto belied her youthful face as she soared into an upbeat ballad. I saw several people stand from their tables. I was the only person who had been surprised by the start of the performance.

"Dance?" asked Eric who was suddenly beside me with his hand out. I nodded and let him help me to my feet.

Eric waltzed very smoothly, something I didn't think he had learned as a Viking. I didn't know much about the ancient Nordic warriors, but I couldn't picture them ball-room dancing somehow.

"Did you ever have dance lessons?" I asked as we glided along.

"No. Do you think I need them?" He asked with humour in his voice.

"No, you dance well," I assured him. He gripped me a little tighter. "I just wondered how you learned." I was too curious to play with him.

"How did you?" He countered. I thought for a moment. How did I learn to dance? I'd never had a lesson.

"Well, I've always liked music, though I can't sing at all. I just picked it up as I went along I guess." As I said this I realised Eric had been 'going along' a long time. He'd probably picked up all sorts of things. I blushed and put my face against his shirt. He laughed. It wasn't loud but I could feel his chest shake.

"Before we came out of the coffin, we had to be masters of fitting in to many different societies." Eric's voice reverberated through his shirt, against my ear. It felt nice so I continued to listen to him that way, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. "In many places, even today, strangers are viewed with suspicion. As a vampire you never wanted to draw too much attention."

"I can't imagine you being a very good wall-flower." I smiled against him. Eric wasn't one to linger in the shadows – though I suppose he must have done so at times. His chest shook again.

"No it was never something I was very good at. But you can get away with a great deal if you know and understand the social customs."

"Speaking of those," I pulled my head away and looked up at him. Eric's smile became expansive and angelic. I had the feeling he knew exactly what I was going to say. I pressed on anyway. "You know it is not considered appropriate to just climb into a person's bed whenever you feel like it."

"I said it was important to _understand_ social customs, not that you had to stick to them," Eric said, his smile if anything growing wider. He slipped his hand up from its position in the small of my back to push my head back against his chest. I had to laugh. I knew he would continue to climb into my bed whenever the mood took him but he'd never done anything I didn't let him and I was kind of getting used to it. Though I wasn't certain what that meant.

As we continued to glide along we spoke occasionally if we thought of something to say but also spent time in comfortable silence. Eric led so strongly that it took no effort at all to follow along, meaning I could enjoy the movement without worrying about getting tired. A couple of times I felt Eric's phone vibrate in his pocket but he ignored it so I did as well.

He told me that Pam had shown an interest in private investigation so he had arranged for her to work with Bill who was looking into some disappearing vamps. Apparently several had vanished from Kentucky a few months ago and more recently some had gone missing in Arkansas. Eric was concerned that a pattern might be forming.

I thought that Pam wouldn't much like working with Bill and said so. Eric remained silent after that but his chest shook again making me wonder if this was another punishment he had devised for his progeny. I speculated for a while on just how much time the two of them spent baiting and punishing each other.

Some time later, as I was leaning into the soft steady vibration rising through Eric's shirt as he hummed along to the music, (it felt like he was purring), I finally asked the question that had been nagging at me since Thursday night.

"How did you know I was innocent when you came to get me from jail?" I'd been thinking it over. It couldn't have been from my feelings as I had definitely been feeling guilty and like I belonged in jail because of Debbie.

"If you had killed another human you would have confessed." Eric replied without missing a beat. He was right, of course, but how was it he knew me so well?

When the last song ended we headed back to our table. As subtly as I could, I glanced at my watch. Eric missed nothing.

"You have to work tomorrow?"

"Yes. I promised Sam I'd go in early and help with the deliveries. But it's fine. I mean, it wasn't that I wanted to leave or anything." I felt bad that he'd caught me, I really was having a good time. In fact considering it wasn't really a 'date' it was the best non-date I think I'd ever had.

"Is he paying you? For your extra time?" Eric seemed far more interested in the matter of my wages than I thought was warranted, but then he knew I taken on the cleaning jobs because I was short on cash.

"Sure." I didn't actually know. I hadn't asked and Sam hadn't mentioned it, but he usually gave me some extra when I helped him out.

"Well, perhaps I should get you home." Once again the mood had shifted.

I wasn't sure how he did that. Maybe it was just that he was such a strong presence, his mood permeated the whole room. For the moment he was in the role of father or perhaps more a guardian. "You've had a long week."

"Ain't that the truth. But I really did have fun tonight, thank you. Though I was supposed to be repaying you. Now I just feel like I owe you even more," I fake grumbled.

"This is a good thing," he leered down at me briefly but then signalled the waiter to bring my coat over to us. Definitely guardian rather than father.

"Just stop it," I smacked his arm. "I won't tell you again." To show he had no intention of doing what I told him, Eric took my hand and kissed it, on the palm like he had before at my house, flicking the skin lightly with his tongue which tickled. I shook my head in affectionate exasperation as he took my coat from the waiter and helped me into it. Taking my hand in his again, he lead me towards the door.

As we threaded our way through the other tables I spotted several Vampires inclining their heads in Eric's direction which he acknowledged with small nods of his own. It took me a moment to recall that this was Eric the sheriff, which made him head vamp. We'd been laughing together and I'd been so comfortable, it had felt more like spending time with the other Eric. It was incredible how much I'd been missing someone who was in my life for such a short time. Could part of him still be there, inside this Eric? Or did I just want him to be?

When we got to the car we both reached for the passenger handle at the same time and I stumbled. Eric caught me. I looked up into his face. His blue eyes were reading mine. He lowered his head down and some hair that had blown loose slid down around his face. I kept perfectly still as he moved in, letting my eyes close softly when I felt his hair brush my cheek. I had a vivid moment of recall: Eric kissing me as we lay on the hood of his car, Eric kissing me as we lay on my kitchen table, and now Eric was kissing me again – it wasn't the same. He just planted a quick peck on my forehead and opened the car door.

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A/N: I know, I'm an evil tease ;) xx


	22. How to Date a Telepath

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

******I cannot apologise enough for the delay, RL is really busy at the moment and I've got a huge amount to do for my course in a short time. So with the packing, moving and job hunting, free time is a distant memory. The next few chapters are very developed and hopefully only need a little more editing so I will try not to keep you all waiting so long again. **

******Thank you for all your messages and comments, I will try to get back to people, especially those with questions. I know some of you will not be happy with some of this chapter but I promise all will be explained in the course of the story. Anyway, I'll natter on no more. Love to you all xx**

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**Chapter 22: How to Date a Telepath**

**Dating Don't: Don't be afraid to try something new, as long as you don't accidentally demolish the place, new experiences can be very rewarding.**

Bill was late arriving for my telepathy training the following night, but since he was doing the whole thing as a favour I figured I couldn't complain. He seemed fidgety even when he did arrive and even though I'd offered him a seat he wandered around unable to relax.

I wanted to ask him what was wrong but I suspected I knew. When Eric had brought me back the night before I had sensed a void disappearing towards the graveyard. Eric had insisted on accompanying me inside too, though he didn't stay long and the only physical contact we'd had was another kiss to my forehead before leaving.

"You have a new coffee table," Bill blurted out suddenly while I was speculating on the events of the night before.

"Eric sent it over today after he broke the old one," I said distractedly. I could have bitten my tongue wishing I'd said something else when Bill scowled. The coffee table had arrived by messenger that morning with a note in what was becoming a familiar hand that simply said:

Whoops!

**~E~**

It had made me laugh.

"Must have been some date," Bill said with sulky venom. My suspicions were confirmed. Well at least Eric will be happy, I thought. One of his goals from the evening was to piss off Bill.

"It wasn't a date." I tried to keep my voice reasonable, hoping there was a chance we'd talk rationally about this.

"Are you his now?" Bill watched my face intently. His own face was shut down, giving nothing away, and his inflection was very formal.

"It's not like that. I owe him a great deal. If it wasn't for him I'd still be in jail. We went out to dinner to discuss my case." I could see a bit of the tension seep from his posture, not all of it but enough to change his entire demeanour.

Before I could feel any relief myself he continued in an angry tone.

"So now he thinks he can come here whenever he likes, and break your things. Perhaps I should …"

"I'm not _yours_ either," I interrupted Bill's righteous rant. He thought for a moment then continued the performance smoothly, his hands speaking with him in that deliberate manner of a politician at a rally; A firm point here, a sweeping gesture there …

"He is taking advantage of you. The entire house reeks of him." He'd been addressing the room as a whole but suddenly narrowed his eyes in on mine. "Even your bed." That explained all the wandering about. I could see him assessing my every reaction and I didn't hide my feelings from him. It pissed _me_ off, that he was trying to throw me off guard, that he was trying to trick me into saying what he thought I was keeping from him, that he thought it was necessary rather than just asking me. Well, screw him.

"Actually I invited Eric to come over. And yes, I'd think bailing me out of jail, and getting me a lawyer and everything else he's done means he is welcome to visit me." I spoke casually and fussed with my hair a little. Let him think his sheriff was wooing me, even if Eric himself had made it clear that wasn't his intention. The t-shirt Eric had left on my porch was now inside the washing machine with the rest of the load I'd done today, I had half a mind to hang it out right under Bill's snooping nose. "He's done a lot for me and asked nothing in return."

"Not yet," Bill retorted darkly. I dropped my calm façade.

"Damn it Bill, stop that. Eric has been very good to me. _I_ called _him_ up, I wanted to say thank you. He took me to a nice restaurant as a treat for us both. I had a great time. Unlike right now!" I taken several steps towards him but he held his ground so we were close together.

"And then?" His ice cold eyes burned into mine.

"And then he brought me home. What is this, 20 questions? What is it you think you have a right to know?" I demanded.

Bill looked really angry as he took a step towards me closing the small gap that had been left. Instinctively I shrank back from him. He stopped cold.

"Sookie, I would never harm you." There was pain in his voice.

"I used to believe that," I said. He retreated a little and turned away for a moment. When he turned back his eyes were tinged with red.

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked sadly. I felt horrible for causing anyone pain but resisted the pull to comfort him. I did understand why Bill didn't like me spending time with Eric but I couldn't cut the Viking out of my life even if I wanted to. And I didn't want to. I remembered what Sam had said about Bill's anger being in part because of the uncertainty about where we stood.

Growing up, I'd often slipped up because of my telepathy. Tara had stayed my friend anyway, had forgiven me for knowing too much at times. Maybe because, growing up the way she did, sometimes she knew too much too. Anyway, she'd stood by me while I'd learned to manage my defect. That's what friends did. From what Bill had told me his attitude was typical of vampires, part of their nature. And he did seem to be _trying_ to manage _his_ defect better. I felt I needed to at least give him a chance, since I knew what it was like to have one. I wasn't going to change my relationship with Eric, such as it was, but I could make it clear to Bill exactly how things stood, then he would have to decide.

"Eric and I aren't having sex. He is my boss and my friend that's all. Now either you can accept that and stay, or …" I didn't finish the sentence, I couldn't quite bring myself to say the words though we both knew what they were.

Bill took a very deep breath.

"I like your new coffee table," he said with a small smile. I returned it.

"I do too." We stood looking at each other for a moment. "Would you like a blood?"

"Thank you, that would be nice." He was back on best behaviour. It was a little formal but better than the animosity that had filled the room a short while before.

I heated the blood while Bill and I avoided looking at each other.

"I was thinking," he said with strained geniality. "Perhaps we should go out tonight." I turned to look at him. "For the training. I thought it was time we moved on to crowds." He kept his face impassive. "Or would you rather continue working here?" He sat at the table to reinforce the point, we'd stay in if I wanted.

"Of course, you're right. I've been thinking the same thing." I turned back to get the blood from the microwave. Taking my time to shake the warm bottle, I internally shook my head at myself. I'd thought for a moment he wanted to go somewhere because I'd gone out with Eric but he was just talking about my training. I felt bad for thinking his motives were so petty and tried for a more genuine smile when I turned back to him.

"So where would you like to go?" He asked as I joined him at the kitchen table. I was surprised. Usually Bill decided what we did. It threw me that he was asking my opinion.

"Well, I'm not sure. We've been working on maintaining my shields when I'm distracted with other things so I guess somewhere I need to focus on more than just shielding."

"Do you have any ideas?" He asked. Bill was clearly letting me drive for now. It was up to me if we went out and where we went. I liked that, and appreciated it didn't come naturally to Bill to let me make the decisions.

I thought about the places we could go. Bill waited patiently, drinking his blood, as my eyes wandered around my kitchen hoping for inspiration. A vindictive part of me was tempted to suggest grocery shopping to pay Bill back for his behaviour when he arrived but Eric had fully stocked my cupboards so I didn't need anything. I tapped my fingers against my lips, thinking. Suddenly I had an image. One of my favourite places to go as a kid. I smiled at Bill and he smiled curiously back. He knew I'd thought of something. I'd tried to get Bill to do this several times when we were dating but he'd always said no. This time I decided not to tell him until we got there.

[***]

I could tell the attendant was nervous about letting a vampire in. There had been incidents; I'd read the stories in the paper where quite a lot of damage was done by vampires because of their superior strength. Bill looked hopeful that we might be denied entrance, he wasn't enamoured with this plan but he hadn't said anything when I'd driven into the lot. I linked my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder for a second.

"Can you believe he's never even tried it? He hasn't a clue how to do it, bless him." I patted Bill's head and he gave me a look but didn't say anything. "But don't worry, I'll teach him. I told him, anyone can learn if I can," Bill caught on, taking the opportunity to unhook his arm from mine and rest his hand on my butt instead. "And I promise we'll be real careful," I added. I was laying on the 'blonde bimbo' act a bit thick but it worked, the guy figured any vampire that was putting up with me couldn't be dangerous, even with a bowling ball in hand. Besides my cleavage had distracted him from his nerves and I was glad I'd put a deep v-neck on.

The first time I'd ever gone bowling was after a bunch of kids at school had gone for Judy Kane's birthday. I wasn't invited of course, but I was curious after I picked up their excitement from their thoughts so I'd asked Gran about it. She'd taken me and Jason to show me what all the fuss was about. After she taught us, we'd go a few times a year. It was always really hard on me because of the noise and bustle of the place, I struggled to focus on the bowling because I hadn't learned to shield very well back then.

Gran was a great bowler. She wasn't fast or powerful but she was accurate. It took years for Jason to get good enough to beat her. I never managed it but when Jason was 18 he finally won a game. He was so proud of himself you'd think he'd just won the USBC Masters. Gran didn't believe in _letting_ us win – you never feel any sense of pride or achievement that way. We couldn't go often, between the cost of the trip and my disability, but even though it was hard I loved it. I always dreamed of one day being able to bowl without the distractions.

Bill did his best not to look sceptical as I got him his shoes and dragged him by the hand to our lane. The alley was busy. The rumble of balls and the clank of pins punctuated the excited squeals, disappointed groans, and sudden waves of laughter that swirled around the room. I had often wondered why a space built for such a noisy sport was designed to be as echoey and acoustically resonant as possible, but it was all part of the game.

Several people were looking at us and I realised why vampires preferred dim, dark environments. The bright strip-lights that illuminated the room did nothing for Bill's complexion. With the blend of disdain and uncertainty on his face he looked ill. I had a moment of doubting the wisdom of my choice but then decided to play a few balls and see how it went. We could always stop if necessary.

Very soon my laughter and squeals had joined those of everyone else. I loved playing my turns but that was nothing to the enjoyment I got from watching Bill. He'd liked standing behind me, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other shadowing my bowling arm as I showed him the basics. Once left to himself however, it did not go so well. He slipped and slid in his shoes, actually falling once though he was up so quickly I don't think anyone noticed.

On his first turn, trying hard to take it easy so as not to damage the lane, he'd only had a loose grip on the ball and it had slipped from his fingers on his back swing. I had been laughing too hard to move so it had nearly run over my toes as it rolled back into the seating area.

On his next few tries his ball ended up in the gutter and I could tell he was getting frustrated when he suggested there was something wrong with his ball. I let him stand behind me again, shadowing my movements as I bowled. This seemed to cheer him up some even if it didn't improve his game by much. The first time he knocked down some pins he couldn't completely hide how pleased he was, though he tried.

We were three quarters of the way through the game when I spotted the guy sneering at us from the promenade. I gave him a direct look back and he curled his lip at me. The hostility didn't leave his eyes as his friend pulled him away.

"What's his problem?" asked Bill coming up behind me so his body pressed against mine; offering back up. I shrugged as I moved, I had no idea.

I'd started to go get my ball from the machine but froze mid-turn. Wait! I didn't know. I looked back at Bill with a big smile.

"I have no idea!" I announced proudly. I'd been bowling and teaching Bill and laughing at his mistakes. Usually when I was that distracted, things leaked through. I wasn't always completely conscious of them because I was so used to it but then if someone asked I could tell them. This time I really didn't know. Bill smiled back at me, understanding what I was saying. I ran to him and jumped, wrapping my legs around his waist. He looked a little surprised but still caught me when I leapt at him in my excitement. I had only meant to hug him but somehow, once I was in his arms, our lips came together.

"Woo hoo, looks like someone got a strike," said a voice from nearby.

"Or will get one soon," came another, followed by two men guffawing. I pulled back from Bill and blushed.

"Sorry," I said. Bill didn't put me down, though usually he was pretty reserved about showing affection in public.

"You certainly don't need to apologise to me. Are you are sorry you did it?" I looked at his kind brown eyes, thought about the fun we'd been having, how much I enjoyed being with him most of the time. No, I wasn't sorry I'd kissed him. Especially as it was because of his help that I was able to shield so well, which was what I'd been celebrating. I shook my head but blushed again and looked down. I wasn't saying I was ready to start a relationship again with Bill. Just as there was something inside me that prevented me from cutting Bill from my life, no matter how mad at him I got, there was also something that made me pull back from him if he got too close.

As always, Bill didn't push. He put me down gently, picked up my ball from the machine and handed it to me. We finished the game and I bounced up and down like a demented puppet cheering myself. I didn't remember ever winning any kind of game before. Bill seemed genuinely happy for me, especially when I was bouncing, and he laughed at my exuberance.

My hands were filthy from playing. I searched my purse for a tissue or something to wipe them with. Bill appeared next to me and picked up my wallet which had fallen to the floor as I searched.

"Lost something?" He asked.

"No, I just need to wash my hands. I'll zip into the ladies and then we can go. I won't be long." I gave him a peck on his cool cheek and slipped off.

When I came back out, Bill handed me my coke which I quickly finished and dropped in the trash.

"Why don't we stop and get you some of that ice cream you like so much on the way back, as a prize for your win," he suggested, I beamed at him. There was a small Mom and Pop ice cream place a few blocks from the bowling alley that made the best pistachio ice cream in the world. I'd mentioned it to Bill last year, which was the last time I'd gotten any. I was tickled he'd remembered. Also, Bill was offering to buy me food.

Once home, I put the ice cream in the freezer while Bill got us drinks, then we sat together on the sofa. We were silent for a while, I mostly focused on sipping my coke while he mostly watched me. We'd had such a good time, and kissing him earlier had been so natural. Part of me wanted to kiss him again but I wasn't sure it was a good idea. Before I could decide, Bill took it out of my hands. He slid across and swept me up in a dramatic move that put me in his arms without me quite knowing how. I gasped into his lips as he pulled me into him insistently. There was a hunger in his eyes that had nothing to do with my blood and an echoing call responded inside me.

I knew I shouldn't be getting myself into anything with Bill again but it is very seductive to be so wanted. I kissed him back, still not entirely sure if I wanted him, or if I just liked being wanted by him. Whatever the case there was plenty of want on my couch as we grasped at each other, little moans, growls and gasps escaped us. His cool fingers slipped under my shirt stroking my skin and I leaned into him even harder.

We carried on like this for a while but when he slid his hand down the back of my jeans something inside me flinched and I began to rein myself in. Gently I started to pull back from him, still kissing him but with a little less enthusiasm. He quickly realised what was going on and started to withdraw as well.

"I'm sorry," I said forcing myself to look him in the eye.

"What for sweetheart?"

"I didn't mean to lead you on or anything." While there was a part of me, possibly my libido which was jumping up and down, that was all for kissing Bill, there was another part of me that just felt it was wrong. The contrast was confusing and made me feel like I didn't know myself. "I think we should take things slow." I begged with my eyes for understanding. He leaned forward and kissed me chastely on the lips.

"Of course," he said smiling at me.

He left shortly afterwards, seemingly quite happy and content. My mind was in a whirl. Especially after I discovered that Bill had seen the picture of Eric in my wallet. I had kept it there because it had his number on the back and it was clearly wallet-sized. I had overlooked the fact that it was just a ruse so I'd carry a picture of him, seeing as his number was already programmed into my phone.

Bill hadn't said a word about the picture, and I wasn't sure when he'd come across it. I knew he'd seen it because Eric now had horns and some of his teeth had been blacked out, including those where his fangs were, so he looked like he had gaps instead. I thought back over the night and remembered I'd left my purse on the kitchen table when I'd nipped back to my bedroom for a last minute shirt change before we left. I'd wanted something fitted so I wouldn't have loose material obstructing my swing. I wasn't happy to think Bill had gone in my purse and decided I'd keep some silver in there from now on, then he'd be snooping at his own risk.

As I absent mindedly brushed my teeth I thought about the two male vampires in my life.

When I was with Bill I was able to feel I had some kind of control. He allowed me to win some of our arguments, to set some of the rules for our relationship, or at least to feel like I did. With Eric there was no control at all. Weirdly, part of me suspected he too felt slightly out of control most of the time. But deliberately so, like he chose to live in free-fall – or, somewhat like Buzz Lightyear, he was _falling with style_ – of course 'falling with style' is all very well when you can actually fly if you want to. For me it just felt like I'd jumped off the bungee bridge and forgotten the elastic. There was the excited adrenaline rush, but I knew there was no way it was going to end well.

Then there was the fact that Bill wanted an actual relationship with me. Though I **wasn't** ready to go back there, he understood what I expect if I'm with a guy. I wasn't sure what Eric wanted. We did have fun together and he liked to flirt with me, especially when Bill was around, but he hadn't kissed me again since that time in the stock room at Fangtasia, he hadn't even mentioned it. He hadn't kissed me when we'd gone out, though I'd thought he might, had even wanted him to. Even if he was prepared to take things to a more intimate level, as far as I could tell, Eric's idea of monogamy was sticking to the same blood type. He certainly wasn't the kind of guy to be a serious boyfriend, the idea seemed a joke, even to me.

But he had come to get me from jail, had restocked my pantry, had tucked me very securely under his wing. No I didn't know what Eric wanted, but I didn't want to upset him. Not because he was more than capable of removing my internal organs without a blink, but because he'd been good to me, whatever the reason.

[~~~]

Eric hadn't been kidding about making sure I had my phone with me and charged. Several times during my Monday night shift I got texts from him asking for responses. The first was simply:

_What are you doing?_

_Working._

I'd replied. Luckily I'd been able to zip right out back, away from the prying eyes of the Bill and the customers, so he got a quick response to prove I was keeping my end of the deal. Later in the night when I was arguing with a customer I got another one. I felt my pocket vibrate while I stood my ground with an under age boy who wanted to buy beer.

He was arguing the point by trying the 'you're just a waitress and I'm your customer' approach. I didn't think I'd been irritated enough to alarm Eric but once I was able to sneak off a while later to read the text, it said:

_What's wrong?_

I started typing a quick response to reassure him. I figured I could explain the full story later if he really wanted to know. My texting skills were too slow to type it out. As I was typing, I heard a yell from the bar and had to rush out forgetting to press 'send'. The under age twerp wasn't the only one up for some high jinks tonight (his fake ID had been in the name of Jack Daniels). Someone had smeared food dye on the tops of several people's beer bottles and now quite a few patrons had brightly coloured rings on their lips and coloured teeth.

Sam, though usually laid back about such things, was not handling the playfulness well. Each new incident seemed to pluck at his last nerve and he was watching the door as if daring any more customers to show up. He scowled each time it opened and turned away upon recognising each arrival. I had the impression he was expecting more trouble but I knew from his mood not to ask. Instead I ran interference, dealing with the tricks and games myself and keeping all participants away from Sam so he didn't end up chasing away half his regulars.

A little later my phone vibrated in my pocket to let me know another text had arrived. When I opened it, it reminded me I hadn't sent the message I'd been typing earlier. I hit send when it asked in order to clear the screen so I could open my new message.

_What are you wearing?_

I blinked at it. Cheeky bastard. What was it with everyone tonight? Then again, unlike the Merlotte's regulars, this sort of behaviour wasn't so unusual for Eric. I was trying to think up an appropriate response when I realised it had arrived before I'd belatedly sent _my_ message. Meaning that he had sent the new question before I'd sent my reply to his earlier one. My reply which simply said:

_Nothing._

My phone rang in my hand and I answered it before the sound could carry into the bar.

"The Shifter has changed the uniform somewhat since I was last there. Perhaps it is time I made another visit." There was humour in his voice and I laughed.

"You mean you don't see enough of me in my Fangtasia uniform?" Eric laughed too. "Sorry to disappoint you but the Merlotte's uniform is the same as always. I hadn't read your last message when I sent that," I explained.

"Tease," he teased.

"Sorry if I alarmed you," I said more seriously. "It was only a minor thing with a customer. I didn't think I was even that bothered." I glanced through the doorway to make sure I wasn't being missed, everyone looked happy enough.

"You weren't. I was just giving you an excuse to extract yourself if you needed it. I thought maybe Bill was giving you a hard time about going out with me the other evening. He wasn't happy that I had him guard your house while we were gone."

"You did what?" I thought back. I'd figured out that Bill had been lurking in my woods when we'd returned but not that Eric had told him to be there.

Then I remembered him playing with his phone, sprawled across my bed wanting me to ask what he was up to. 'Two of a Kind Working on a Fanged Nest' came on the jukebox and I moved back towards the store room so I could hear clearly.

"The cleaning crew I hired told me that the police had made quite a mess when they searched your house. I didn't want them to show up and do that again while no one was there to stop them."

"Bullshit. Pam was right, you are a bitch," I snipped, remembering Pam using this term after Eric dropped Dave down the drain. No wonder Bill had been so upset. Not only had I gone out with Eric, but Eric had rubbed it in his face. A burst of laughter echoed down the line.

"I'll tell her you said so. She'll enjoy that."

"Look, I need to get back to work," I said, aware I wasn't on an official break. Though I'd cut my earlier one short so I was entitled to five more minutes.

"Of course. Now that I know you are not naked there is no need to continue the conversation." I hung up. Any reply would just encourage him.

I had a text from him Tuesday night too, very late, asking if I was in bed. I been just on the verge of sleep and the text-alert woke me back up. I sent him one of the rude-gesture emoticons that I'd looked up during the day.

* * *

A/N: Please don't throw things at me for too much Billness, lots more Ericness to come. xx


	23. The Fangtasia Job

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******The great and wonderful treewitch703 has once again worked her magic and I am, as always, incredibly grateful. xx. **

******I know posting is horribly slow at the moment, and I really am very sorry. I have plenty of the story in the works it's just finding the time to polish it for you guys. Anyway for now I will delay no longer. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 23: The Fangtasia Job**

**Dating Do: Do flirt from time to time, unless your suitors are blood-thirsty immortals that might end up squabbling over your innards as they stake their claim. **

On Wednesday I was actually looking forward to my shift at Fangtasia for the first time. Eric and I seemed to have graduated into a fun teasing relationship again, like the one we'd had before his amnesia only more so. I was anticipating tag-teaming him with Pam. I should have known that if I was looking forward to something it would all go horribly wrong.

The evening started well: Pam and Eric were both in good moods; Morgan's joke telling had improved dramatically, one or two of her one-liners were bordering on funny; And the other waitresses were being less openly hostile because Eric spoke to me as soon as I arrived. Well after he'd held up his phone and wagged his finger at me, it had been quite a rude emoticon.

Thirty minutes after the doors opened the night started to go downhill. Bill arrived. Eric didn't look overjoyed at his appearance so I figured he hadn't called him this time. This was Bill striking back for having been ordered to babysit my empty house.

He was primarily here to flaunt before Eric what had happened at my telepathy training, as I realised by the heat in his eyes when he approached me, and by the fact that the first thing he said was:

"I had such a good time on Sunday, I've thought of almost nothing else since." There was so much fire in his look I was surprised I wasn't barbecued. I wasn't happy that he'd come all the way to Shreveport to stick his tongue out at Eric and say 'na na n-na-na' but his uncharacteristically brazen approach took me by surprise and I became too flustered to chastise him.

"Um, thanks. Look, Bill, I'm working right now I can't really …"

"Of course, perhaps you'd help me find a table? In your section of course," he replied smoothly, gesturing with his hand that I should walk ahead of him. As I led the way to an empty table I just knew he was following so he could watch my ass. Sure enough when I turned I saw him raise his eyes to meet mine.

I headed to the bar to get Bill a blood and Eric appeared beside me. We didn't look at each other.

"I've been thinking of how to punish you for that very rude text you sent me," he mumbled quietly, still not looking at me. I saw Morgan's eyes register the conversation but no one else seemed to hear. From a distance we didn't look to be communicating at all.

"You deserved it," I murmured back at barely a whisper. Eric turned his head slightly so I could see his face in the mirror behind the bar and tried for blandly innocent as he raised a brow. But let's face it, there is nothing innocent about Eric. "It took me ages to finally drop off after your message arrived just as I was on the edge of sleep," I explained.

"Mmmmm, I rather like the idea that I keep you awake at night." I resisted the urge to smack him. That wouldn't do, not in the bar. No matter how playful our relationship had become I still had to appear respectful in public while I was working for him.

He, of course, could do as he liked, being the boss an' all, as he proceeded to demonstrate. He reached around the back of me, crushing me up against the bar from behind, and grabbed a napkin from the pile beside the till. I could feel his hip bones pressed against me as he trapped me there, bending me over slightly when he reached forward. Moving back beside me, he dabbed his mouth a couple of times with it. Then, leaning around me again, once more smooshing me against the counter with his body, he dropped it in the trash can behind the bar. This time there was an additional bone and I had to fight a blush.

"I didn't realise you were such a poor shot," I murmured at the same low level. Morgan's lips twitched. We all knew Eric could easily have pitched the napkin into the bin without reaching round me. "Still, I suppose you are getting on a bit, maybe your eyesight is going." Morgan turned away not quite quickly enough to hide her smirk. Eric gave me a look. Game on, it said. Whoops.

I took Bill's blood over to him and saw his nostrils flare as he picked up Eric's scent on me from being pinned to the bar. A chill flashed in Bill's eyes but then he smiled at me and paid for his drink.

"I've been thinking, as it worked out _so_ well, perhaps we should go out again. I enjoyed the evening's activity so very much. I'd certainly like to improve upon last time," he said. He wasn't keeping his voice down in the slightest, speaking up so he could be heard clearly over the music. I rolled my eyes at him and asked if he needed anything else. They were as bad as each other.

Part of me wished Bill would just leave so at least I'd only have to deal with one of them at a time. I should have just let it go when Eric was pushing against me but my instinct is always to push back. Now I'd set myself up for a very long evening, especially with Bill in the bar. I suspected Eric would use that to his advantage.

Sure enough, Bill was Eric's weapon of choice when it came to getting back at me. When I turned from serving one of my tables a short while after, Eric was waiting for me. He ordered me to fetch a case of Red Stuff from the back room. I knew from the look on Morgan's face that she didn't need it, it never seemed to sell. While I was back there, Eric appeared with devilry in his eyes. He stood in the doorway watching me while I hunted for a case, finally locating one tucked away in a corner, and carried it over.

When I reached him, he moved aside leaving me barely enough room to squeeze past him through the doorway so my dress became askew. Just as I thought I was free, with a flick of his hand he managed to steal my ponytail holder. I turned with a gasp of surprise to find him inspecting it. Raising my eyebrows, I just waited. It would be a pain to work without it as my hair would be all over the place, but I wouldn't demand it back. After a moment Eric held it out to me, even taking the case of Red Stuff while I retied my hair.

It was after I smoothed down my ruffled dress and started serving my tables again that I realised the point of it all. Bill was looking from my hair to Eric suspiciously. I looked at Eric too and noticed his shirt was no longer tucked in when it had been earlier. Of course only someone paying vigilant attention to us both (like Bill) would notice the subtle changes. Eric was such a sneaky gremlin. And this was only the start.

[***]

I was taking some change to Pam at the door, not usually one of my jobs. Eric had taken to calling me to him, with a two-fingered come hither gesture that was definitely suggestive, every time I approached Bill or Bill approached me. So I hadn't been able to smooth my neighbour's ruffled feathers after Eric's ploy. My boss was also insisting that I address him nice and loudly so everyone could hear me call him master each time. I did as he asked in an extremely sickly-sweet tone that I could tell he hated. Of course then he'd have to come up with a reason for calling me over each time, so now I was taking some change to Pam.

I was surprised to get the familiar tickle of a shifter mind as I approached the front door. Glancing past Pam, I spotted him flirting with the fang-bangers in line. I'd never seen any two-natured at Fangtasia except when Eric called them there for business reasons. Pam was paying him no more mind than she did the rest of the 'vermin' as she called them.

When I looked at him he looked straight back at me, seemingly just as curious about my presence as I was about his. He offered me a small smile and a nod then responded to the question the small red-head in the smaller red bodice had just asked him.

His hair was dark and wavy, hanging nearly as long as Eric's. At more than six foot he was almost as imposing as the Viking and perhaps a little broader. But his features, like his piercing green eyes, were more Celtic than Nordic. His skin was that beautiful golden tan that I liked to maintain myself. I think I would have noticed him even if I hadn't picked up the familiar brain signature, so much like Sam's. I'd lowered my shields while carrying the bag of money, just in case.

Pam was surprised when I handed her the bag, as I'd suspected, she didn't need it. I just shrugged at her and headed back inside, keeping my eyes away from either Eric or Bill while I saw to my other tables.

A while later as I glanced surreptitiously in his direction, I noticed Bill was sitting quietly, twisting his empty blood bottle round and round with his fingers. He wasn't trying to get my attention, or anyone else's, he was just keeping to himself. I felt bad that he needed serving and I'd been avoiding him. It might be awkward but that was no excuse for doing my job badly. Ensuring I didn't so much as flick a lid in Eric's direction I headed over.

There was a look on Bill's face, he was tempted to try it on again. I could feel the recklessness in the air. I pushed it aside in much the same way I pushed out people's thoughts.

"Hey Bill, you want another Blood?" I asked with a 'no-nonsense' tone.

"Yes please Sookie." He'd looked up with anticipation but the dangerous spark dimmed to his usual smile under my firm gaze. I had carefully made my approach so that my back would be to Eric and I noticed Bill was careful not to let his eyes slide behind me either. I expected my neighbour to ask about my hair but it seemed Eric's attempt to keep us apart had given his game away.

"Coming right up," I said. As he passed me his empty bottle, he kept hold of it for a second so our fingers met.

When he had handed me the money for his previous drink he'd managed to stroke the inside of my wrist with his cool finger, right over that soft sensitive area, making me shiver. The way his fingers brushed mine now and his eyes filled with promise told me he was planning a repeat when I returned. I almost shivered at the thought. Bill winked at me and I headed to the bar, keeping my eyeballs front and center the whole way. I knew if I so much a flickered them in Eric's direction he would call me over and I'd have to answer.

Morgan was just placing the bottle on my tray when Ginger grabbed my arm and forced a smile at me.

"I'll take that one for you hon'," she said brightly with a significant look. I didn't need the thoughts screaming into my brain from the direct contact to know that Eric was waiting for me to serve him in some way. Since I had avoided eye contact, he'd used other means to get me to go to him.

Ginger was always hyper-aware of Eric, so when I'd blithely ignored him he'd let his irritation show, knowing Ginger would step in wagging her tail. She would much rather serve him herself but she didn't want me to get in trouble so had decided to deal with my other order instead. I forced myself to smile at her. Eric might be a pain in my butt but Ginger had made, what was to her, a great sacrifice in order to help me out. She trotted off with Bill's blood as I reined in my irritation and turned to face Eric. The line of his mouth did not hide the smugness in his eyes as his hand came up and he curled his index and middle fingers to call me over.

I hitched up my best crazy smile for him as I approached and nodded.

"Master?"

After a pause that told me my simpering tone was grating on him, he started to speak very quietly and I automatically leaned in to hear. Which was obviously his goal because he smiled brightly as he leaned towards me also. I started to lean back again, it felt like we were too close, especially in the setting, but he continued speaking quietly so I had to lean in again to hear him, it was like the caller at a square dance had ordered: "Greet your partner." I fought the impulse to give him a reaction and saw his intensity soften in response. However his regular level of mischief still quirked his mouth.

"I do not wish for A tonight. I think I would rather have …" he flicked his eyes to my neck and breathed "… O," puckering his lips towards mine. There was a pause as I found my eyes glued to his lips, then he nudged the full bottle of blood in front of him towards me. I dropped my eyes to the bottle and picked it up.

"Right away, Master," I said keeping the sarcasm from my voice but not my emotions. I nodded again and, with extreme self-control, didn't sigh out loud. Then headed for the bar.

The shifter had managed to sit in my section as well. He was holding court with a group of fang-bangers. Or maybe they were shifter-shaggers now, they looked pretty converted to me. I smiled genuinely as I approached his table a little later. There was a good atmosphere around it and everyone was friendly and polite whenever I stopped to see if they needed anything. He turned his head, giving me a radiant smile as I walked towards him.

"The beautiful Sookie cometh," he said welcoming me to the table. "I swear you carry the sun around with you. I always feel like I am basking in its warmth when you visit." I laughed at him. He was so over the top but he did it with everyone so it came with a feeling of inclusion, and he sure knew how to pay a compliment.

"Well that can't be true Luke," I bantered. "I don't think they'd let me work in a vampire bar if it was, I'd kill off half the staff," I giggled. He didn't need to know how close to the truth that was. From the other side of the room Pam raised an eyebrow at me and for a moment looked so much like Eric I was taken aback.

"Why do I get the impression there is more to what you just said that I am getting?" Luke the shifter asked me with much more genuine curiosity. He had dropped his voice so our conversation became just between the two of us rather that for the benefit of the whole table.

"I have no idea what you mean," I said with that innocent expression I'd been rehearsing all evening, letting a small smile play across my lips.

"What a titillating creature you are." His green eyes smiled at me in a slightly indecent way and I blushed. This was not a good night to start flirting with a handsome stranger no matter how nice he might seem. I took a slight step back.

"Another round?" I asked moving us back to customer-waitress relations. Luke looked pleased with my reactions and continued to smile warmly at me but just nodded releasing me from the conversation. When I turned back to the room it was clear that I'd been right to put some distance between me and Luke. Both Eric and Bill were watching me, Bill was frowning deeply and Eric's face was hard enough to looked chisled.

Some time after that I was finally able to check on Bill uninterrupted by hiding behind a group of tourists taking snapshots of each other next to one of the many pictures of Dracula. We chatted for a minute which once again seemed to calm him but though I could see he wanted me to, I didn't linger. As soon as I emerged from behind the tourists, Eric called me over with a quick double-curl of his fingers. I nodded as I approached.

"Master," I said politely. He was sprawled as usual in his chair, his legs apart, and leaning right back. As he turned slightly to speak to me, he managed to knock the bottle of blood from the table so it smashed on the floor between his outstretched feet. I skittered back a couple of steps to avoid the splash, surprised that Eric would be clumsy like that. As I looked to him in shock I realised what he'd done. The eyebrow said it all.

After getting the dustpan and brush from Morgan, I also gathered some napkins and a cloth from the end of the bar and went back to crouch between Eric's legs so I could clean up the mess. Despite trying hard to continue looking bored, Eric couldn't hide the amusement in his eyes. An involuntary glance in that direction told me Bill was glowering which I knew was adding to Eric's fun. I realised that from Bill's position he could probably only see my head bobbing up and down in the vicinity of Eric's crotch. Judging by the emergence of several sets of fangs he wasn't the only one imagining me doing something other than cleaning up spilt blood – though he seemed to be the only one upset by it.

The heat in my cheeks told me I was so red I probably looked like I was down there face-painting with the spill rather than mopping it up. As I worked, I started to plan revenge beginning with several strongly worded texts, if Eric thought the last emoticon I sent him was rude … I was so embarrassed. Not that cleaning up a spill bothered me, it was the intended implication that made me hope Gran wasn't watching from wherever she was. Flicking my eyes up at Eric he caught my gaze and allowed himself a smile of pure satisfaction that did not help in dispelling the images coming from many of the watching fang-bangers.

Eventually I was done and I stomped off to dump the dirty napkins, using the opportunity to take a moment to myself out the back. Much as I wanted to avoid him right now, I thought I'd better go and speak to Bill. I didn't want him to get so angry that he said anything to Eric and he'd looked like he might. Snapping at the area sheriff at my kitchen table was bad enough, if he did it in the bar, Eric would punish him for sure. And I didn't want to get dragged into a scene on top of the teasing I was already getting.

As I re-entered the bar, eye-contact and a smile from Ginger told me she'd once again been covering for me. Unfortunately, I also got an image straight from her mind of exactly how much she wished she'd been the one bobbing up and down between Eric's legs, and not in the innocent blood-cleaning way I had been. I blushed for her, since she was beyond blushing for herself.

Eric was back to lounging with a bored expression that didn't fool me in the slightest, especially seeing as he topped the pose off with a gesture that flexed his biceps as he swept his hair back. Two fang-bangers standing near me squealed in such high-pitched tones that Dean would have winced. I wanted to smack some sense into them with my tray.

I noticed that several of the vampires were looking at me with renewed interest. It was the same as the looks I'd gotten when I first started at Fangtasia. They had stopped after Eric had rubbed his scent on me that one time, now the 'cat spying a mouse' look was back on several faces (you know, the one where they haven't yet decided if they want to eat or just play but either way the mouse is in trouble).

I looked for Bill. He was staring at his bottle of blood trying to make it freeze with his gaze alone – at least that was what it looked like. I headed over to him walking the long way round to avoid Eric. Bill's glare was not for his blood alone, every now and then he would glance up at the sheriff and the frost coming from him would practically crystallize the atmosphere. I placed myself in the way to block both the icy glare and anyone from seeing it.

"Bill what are you doing? You need to calm down before you get us both in trouble," I whispered cautiously at him. He didn't seem to hear me. His face was full of cold fury. Finally he noticed my presence and looked up.

"Are you all right? He should never have done that. I will speak to him." I glanced around to make sure no one was listening as I covered his mouth with my fingers.

"Shhh." I leaned down to his ear and spoke as quietly as humanly possibly. "Don't be silly, you cannot question him in the bar, besides you'll be playing right into his hands if you give him the satisfaction." I pulled back to look him in the eye trying to convince him with everything I had.

"It is an abuse of power," Bill insisted against my fingers. Though at least he too had dropped his voice. I wanted to roll my eyes, abusing power was the vampire SOP, Bill just wanted to team 'us' against the sheriff.

"Don't be so dramatic Bill. It's fine, he's just being Eric." I patted him on the shoulder and headed off, confident that he wouldn't say anything for now and sure that any further conversation would just rile him up again.

I worked my way over to Ginger with a grateful smile.

"I'm so sorry, it's just been one of those nights. I'll make it up to you I swear," I told her.

"Don't worry hon', its always understood that everyone else will cover if one of us is busy serving the Master." Even with my shields firmly in place I knew what she was thinking when she talked about 'serving the Master.' I hid my 'ew' just as she hid her 'bitch' and we gave each other a quick friendly hug before getting back to work.

All my tables seemed happy service-wise, though several intense conversations were going on that were made up of loud bouts of laughter versus deep frowns. Something was off but I couldn't work out what, especially as I was mostly worried about avoiding a certain vampire sheriff. As I continued checking on my customers, I just about managed to keep Ginger upright when she was nearly pulled to the floor by a customer. They had fallen victim to one of their friends whipping their chair away when they went to sit and on the way down grabbed at the nearest thing to hand which happened to be Ginger. I caught her as the customer's butt hit the floor to a round of applause and laughter. Everyone was so lively tonight, I was getting a sence of déjà vu.

Doing another round of my tables, I realised the sheriff wasn't the only vampire I needed to avoid. Another vampire, one I didn't recognise, was stalking me in a manner that was definitely predatory. I glanced around for Pam who was usually my saviour in these situations but she was on the door. As the vampire got closer I was aware from the corner of my eye that Bill had stood and was moving towards me also. Before anything more could happen three airmen at the table next to me suddenly stood, knocking their chairs over in the process, and started to shove at each other.

I turned towards them, hoping I'd be able to prevent a full on fight, just as the nearest one received a hard shove that sent him straight back into me. My ass was heading for the floor before I even realised what happened. Wincing for a painful landing, I instead felt large strong hands catch me by wrapping around me from behind. Large strong hands, that were warm.

I looked up over my shoulder to identify my saviour and saw the friendly handsome face of the Shifter, Luke, smiling at me. His intense green eyes were full of good humour. He settled me safely back on my feet and dropped his hands to my waist but didn't let go just yet.

"Sorry about that," he said into my ear. "I think sometimes I should be more careful but caution seems to be something I was born without." He sounded pleased with his flaw. The vamp that had been approaching was now helping Pam remove the squabbling airmen.

"Well a more cautious man might not have caught me, so at the moment I'm not complaining," I said smiling back over my shoulder at him. Feeling my butt had just been saved in more ways than one I was extremely relieved.

My relief was short lived. As I stepped out from Luke's grasp and glanced over the room, I saw Bill had redirected his course from towards me to towards Eric. I wanted to intercede but aside from the fact I was too far away and Luke was still talking to me, a human waitress interfering with a vampire issue would be even more disastrous than Bill confronting Eric in the bar.

"I'd certainly hate to think that being in my arms would result in any complaint from you," Luke flirted with a wink to say he was just being playful. I laughed, despite my concerns that Bill had now reached Eric's table. "I do hope you weren't hurt at all?" The Shifter asked with concern replacing humour, pulling his end of my focus rope.

"No, not even my pride was bruised since you caught me in time." I was trying to talk to him but my attention was tugged towards the two vampires.

I couldn't hear what Bill said to Eric but several vamps looked in that direction. Eric shot up from his chair so quickly it made Bill take a step back, a big one. Eric barely glanced at the younger vampire as he stalked off to his office with Bill following behind.

"Yes a bruised pride is the most painful of injuries, often far worse than anything physical." Somehow I thought Luke wasn't talking about me any more. I turned my head to look at him. Like mine had been, his eyes were fixed firmly on the door through which Eric and Bill had just disappeared. Where I had been watching with worry though, Luke looked satisfied. Did he know them?

Before I could ask, Pam was grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the back office. She hadn't so much as glanced at Luke but he looked even more amused as he watched me be dragged away.

"Pam what are you doing?" I hissed at her as quietly as I could. She gave me a look to say it should be obvious and continued to pull me along.

"You do not want to miss this," she finally whispered back with an excited grin. I realised where we were heading.

"You mean _you_ don't want to miss this and are dragging me along as an excuse to be there," I started trying to resist the movement, not that it made the slightest difference to Pam.

"No," she said categorically, looking at me like I was a pest. "I am bring you because I am not allowed to leave you in the bar unattended," she explained as she reached out to grab the door handle.

I was going to argue but Pam thrust me into Eric's office at that moment.

"I need only make a call to …" Bill was saying as we entered. Both he and Eric turned in our direction and froze.

They were standing opposite each other in front of Eric's desk. Eric's shirt had a slightly scrunched looked that suggested Bill had grabbed him at some point and dried blood on the corner of Bill's mouth suggested Eric had not taken well to Bill's assault on his shirt. After ensuring it was just us two and that Pam had closed the door, Eric returned his attention to Bill as if there had been no interruption at all.

"Make a call to whom?" He said in the sort of voice that tells you there is no right answer to that question. Bill seemed to be doing some quick thinking. His eyes flicked to me before he answered.

"The AVL," he announced proudly. "I'm sure they'll have something to say about your treatment of humans." I got the distinct impression he had only just thought of this answer which made me wonder who he had been planning to threaten Eric with previously.

"If you call in the AVL, I will simply tell them how you have been stalking a member of my retinue and that your complaint is simply an attempt to take her for yourself."

"How can I stalk her when I'm not even allowed to go near her without an invite?" Bill flicked his eyes in my direction again to see how I was taking this revelation, unaware I already knew about Eric's orders.

"I will not allow _customers_ to harass _my_ staff," Eric's accent was starting to show, he was losing his patience with Bill and I was sure thing would've turned violent by now if Pam and I had not come in.

"And _I_ will not allow _you_ to take advantage of _my_ friend." Bill countered. There was a hint of martyrdom in the way he was verbally flinging himself between me and Eric. If I'd had a bucket of water I'd have flung it over them both. They seemed to have forgotten Pam and I were there as they continued to stare at each other.

"Take advantage? No you wouldn't want anyone doing that but you," Eric accused moving a little closer to Bill causing him to step back like he had in the bar. But Bill wasn't backing off verbally as he had physically.

"I have always cared for Sookie, and I will continue to do so, there is _nothing_ you can do to prevent that!" Eric looked menacing in a way that said he had a very clear idea of how to prevent '_that_'.

Their bickering was making me feel prickly and I spoke without even thinking about it. "Stop it the pair of you, or _I'll_ call the AVL then you'll both be up shit's creek without a paddle." They looked at me in shock for a moment. Eric was the first to recover.

"And who will keep you out of prison when I am locked up for mistreating you? You wouldn't report me any more than I would you," he gave me a significant look. The only difference in our cases was that I really had killed someone and he knew it, whereas we both knew he hadn't really mistreated me – he may have been pushing it a bit with the blood stunt but I'd known he was just messin' with me.

Bill cut in, stepping towards me to jam the flow of communication between me and Eric, slapping on his usual wet blanket.

"Sookie, if you ever want me out of your life you need only say. I will go if this is what you want," he looked so sad but prepared to walk away if I asked. Though it would be so much easier if he would just go home so we could talk later, I found couldn't ask him to leave when he was looking at me like that. I felt the familiar sensation of Bill pulling at me but I was irritated too. I closed my eyes for a long second and exhaled trying to sort myself out.

When I opened them, Eric was looking at Bill in disgust. They started arguing again and I was glad I couldn't make out what all was being said. A couple of comments that I did catch suggested they were bringing up experiences with me I'd rather have stayed private. When I heard at least one of them say something about who I belonged to, yet again, I saw red.

"You can BOTH go suck eggs." I got two blank expressions in return. They looked at me, blinked in unison then looked at each other confused.

"She means fuck off," chirped Pam helpfully from the door behind me. Eric looked pleased, though whether it was because the phrase had been explained, or that I'd said it, I wasn't sure. Bill disapproved. Both expressions just pissed me off further. I didn't need either their approbation or criticism.

"I've had enough, it's about time you _both_ realised that I belong to ME! That I am free to do whatever I want." I heard Pam snigger behind me and acted on rash impulse. "Such as this:" Turning on my heel, I grabbed her and attacked her lips with mine. The tray I'd been holding fell to the floor with a crash.

I know she was shocked because it took a moment for her to respond, for her arms to go round me and her tongue to slide into my mouth. It felt weird, kissing a girl, she seemed too small in my arms. I was angry and threw all that emotion into the kiss, holding her to me even though she could pull away easily if she chose to. Of course she didn't choose to. She gripped me back and we clung to each other. The kiss went on, my hands curling into her hair and one of hers gripping my ass. Her fangs popped out suddenly, catching my lip and she moaned as my blood coated her tongue.

Later, I would be baffled by the impulse that had overtaken me, this was something I just didn't do. But at that moment a tide of rebellion rose up in me and I was ready to strike out against anyone or anything that would try to control me, even my own inhibitions. I knew I was being reckless, that I was acting out of character, but rather than worry about this I revelled in it, pushing my own boundaries further.

Someone coughed but we didn't separate. I was feeling a thrill from doing something a little naughty, like sneaking an extra slice of cake from the refrigerator after Gran had gone to bed. Just as that piece of cake always tasted better for being illicit, there was an added thrill to the kiss, making it exciting in a way I hadn't expected. A moment later I felt Pam flinch slightly. She pulled away slowly, sucking my bottom lip into her mouth and pulling it with her for a moment before letting go, her saliva healing the scratch. Her sultry gaze to remained playfully on me.

I was instantly unsure that I had done the right thing. It was incredibly rash and I realised I hadn't taken into account how much Pam was going to enjoy it. None of us would ever hear the end of this. I turned to look at the two other vampires as calmly as I could trying to say with only my expression: I hope I've made my point. I think I had too. Eric and Bill were both frozen to the spot. Their blank expressions didn't hide the fire and ice in their respective eyes. Oh dear. Pam wrapped an arm around my waist from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder.

I didn't need to glance at her to know she was grinning like the Joker on Prozac.

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A/N: Treewitch703 has been such a star and already has the next chapter back to me so that should be up over the next couple of days. I've made these chapters a bit longer for you too :) xx


	24. Sookie the Day-man Slayer

Dating in the Dark

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Massive thanks to Treewitch703, amazing lady that she is xx

Thanks for all the love, you have no idea how much it means to me. xx

Sorry it took a bit longer than I hoped to get this up, hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter 24: Sookie the Day-man Slayer**

**Dating Do: Do make the most of your assets, be they special skills or attractive physical qualities.**

_I turned to look at the two other vampires as calmly as I could trying to say with only my expression: I hope I've made my point. I think I had too. Eric and Bill both looked frozen to the spot. Their blank expressions didn't hide the fire and ice in their respective eyes. Oh dear. Pam wrapped an arm around my waist from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder. _

_I didn't need to glance at her to know she was grinning like the Joker on Prozac. _

Before they had chance to recover I untangled myself from Pam's grasp and went back to work without a word to anyone. It took a firm shove to convince Pam to let go of me. All of them had the sense to stay silent. Torn between anger and mortification I think I would have staked the first one to comment. As I closed the door to Eric's office behind me, leaning my head back against it and finally allowing myself to exhale, I considered just leaving and going home but it wouldn't be fair to the other staff.

I may be on bail for murder, broke to the nth degree and the regular chew-toy of every supe in Northern Louisiana but damn-it I was a good waitress. I straightened my spine, grabbed a tray from the end of the bar and looked around the room. Ginger gave me a quick smile and I could see she'd been covering my tables again. I answered her smile and promised myself I'd give her my tips for the night no matter how short on cash I was. Since Eric had covered all my immediate needs I could afford to do it.

Other than one or two of the regular fang-bangers who watched Eric obsessively, none of the other humans had noticed our disappearance and the vampires were all feigning disinterest – with varying degrees of success. Morgan wandered over to speak to me across the bar.

"What do you call a human with the complexion of a vampire?" She smiled at me. I gave her a questioning look. "Empty!" She laughed loudly and I gave my now standard amiable chuckle, it really wasn't as bad as some of her jokes.

Her gag made me feel back on familiar territory, just another night in Fangtasia. My laugh may not have been entirely genuine but the smile I gave her was. I kept it on my face and got back to work. Eric, Bill and Pam didn't come out of Eric's office for the rest of the night, or if they did they didn't come into the bar. I was glad of it. In need of some positive attention I headed over to the Shifter.

Luke was back holding court at his table. I heard him telling a story as I approached.

"A famous warrior among his people, he was known as Óskmey Óski, The wish-girl's wish-fulfiller." The crowd around him were all enraptured as he spoke. I lingered, listening in too. "Rumour had it that at each battle Odin would send one of the Óskmey, the Valkyries, to bring Eiríkr to Valhalla, the warriors paradise. Each time he would seduce the Óskmey and she would leave him alive, for he had fulfilled her wish, or fulfilled her at least." Luke laughed at his own joke and the converted fang-bangers joined in. "Eventually, Odin got fed up with him so as punishment he gave him immortality. It is an early tale of: 'be careful what you wish for'. Eiríkr had tried to avoid death but the cost was that he was kept from the Valkyries and barred forever from Valhalla."

The rest of the table started to chatter among themselves excitedly as Luke paused to take a sip of the fresh drink I had brought over for him. He curled his finger to get me to lean in and murmured; "Humans come up with the most apt stories. I love the way they create a mythical supernatural world to help them actively ignore the real one." He had that warm tone to his voice, the way someone talks about small children that they are fond of. I was surprised he was talking to me as if I were a supe rather than a human but I figured it was just because I worked here. Or maybe he'd noticed I nodded rather than bowed like the other human staff and figured I had more of an in with the supe world because of that. Either way I liked that he made us a 'we' versus the rest of the table's 'them', usually I wasn't in the included side of such distinctions. It made me bold enough to ask my question.

"Does Eric know you're out here telling stories about him to his customers?" I was thinking Eric might not like it and I didn't want Luke to get in trouble after he'd saved me from falling on my ass earlier. Especially since Eric was already in a bad mood. Luke looked a little surprised and I realised I'd said 'Eric' rather than 'Mr Northman'. I was glad I'd spoken quietly so only Luke could have heard me but I could still get in trouble. He put his lips near my ear and spoke conspiratorially.

"No, but don't worry, they," he indicated the shifter-shaggers with his head, "don't realise who I'm talking about and even _I_ wouldn't dare enlighten them. However, if Eiríkr should hear them recounting the story and let slip himself that he is its subject, then that is on him, not me." Luke pulled back and gave me the most mischievous grin I'd ever seen. Considering all the time I'd spent with Eric that was saying something.

"Did they really say that about him? About the Valkyries and Valhalla?" I knew I was playing with fire having this conversation in the middle of Eric's bar but I was still feeling reckless and persisted with it anyway.

"Yes, he earned his reputation back when he was mortal. It was his brothers in arms that named him, Óskmey Óski, Wish-fulfiller of the Wish-girls, Seducer of the Valkyries. The rest of the story was added after there were several rumours of sightings of him even though he was supposed to be dead."

I wanted to ask how Luke knew all this but one of my tables was trying to get my attention. I smiled apologetically to him that I had to get on.

"No rest for the wicked," I whispered as I prepared to head off.

"You, my dear, are the least wicked thing in this entire establishment," Luke said looking quite serious. I laughed anyway,

"Oh I have my moments, believe me," I replied with a wink. Luke smiled brightly.

"That I do not doubt for a second." His look was all approval as I hotfooted it to the table waiting for service. He must have left shortly after because I didn't see him again. I finished my shift, zipped through my clean up a little too quickly to be thorough, gave my tips to a protesting Ginger, and got out of there.

[~~~]

I was working at Merlotte's the next night. At least I thought I was. Although still cool for the time of year, the weather was getting warmer. It wasn't quite hot enough, but I'd spent an hour on my lounger at the height of the day and was feeling much better for it. I sometimes suspected I was solar powered. Between that and the fact that it was Thursday, I was in a fairly good mood. I had a whole week before I had to be back at Fangtasia and with any luck I would be able to avoid all vampires until then.

The sun hadn't yet set as I parked behind Merlotte's and I leaned against my car enjoying the late rays on my face. The smell of spring drifted on the breeze that fluttered through the surrounding woods and the shivering of the new leaves was comforted by the chirrup-chiree of robins, the scurrying of squirrels and such. The sounds of the woods had always held the comfort of familiarity, but since I started hanging out with supes they also served as an early warning system. All the supes I knew were predators, and, being larger predators than anything else in the woods, the other animals knew to shut the hell up when they were around.

Unfortunately the wildlife was not so bashful when it came to slimy, self-important, idiots, so was still chirping happily away when a shadow fell across me. I opened my eyes to see Bobby, Eric's day man, looking at me with annoyance.

"I'm to drive you to Shreveport," he said without greeting. He'd lately started using some kind of hair product that made it look like he'd dunked his head in crude oil. It made it even more unpleasant to be around him than it had been. I made sure my shields were firmly in place before his internal dialogue on what trash I was could reach me.

"Well luckily for us both I can't go," I said, pushing myself away from my car and turning to lock it. There was no point pretending that we didn't both know that Bobby hated me, that he did not want to spend the drive to Shreveport in a car with me. For my part, I wasn't ready to face any of the vampires after the night before so I wouldn't have wanted to go even if I wasn't working. Bobby was looking at me like I'd spoken Japanese. "I have to work," I explained, perhaps a little too condescendingly. Bobby looked stuck for how to respond. I showed some pity. "I'll call Eric and let him know. I'm sure he can tell me whatever it is over the phone." Of course I'd rather not talk to Eric at all, at least not until the memory of kissing Pam wasn't so fresh, but I was still officially in his custody. I couldn't let my embarrassment make me forget what I owed him.

Bobby gave me a distorted smirk that reflected his derision. I'd heard enough of his opinions on me to practically read his thoughts (even without my telepathy) as they ticker-taped their way across his face.

"_Mr Northman," _he said pointedly, oops I'd called him Eric again. Still, it was only Bobby so I wasn't going to apologise. "Was most clear in his instructions," he said slowly as if I was too stupid to understand English.

"Well I am also being quite clear," I said just as slowly. "Shoo!" I flicked my hand at him.

Bobby blinked. I'd wanted to say something much clearer (and ruder) but Gran was in the back of my head and I just couldn't. As he started to turn beet red, I stomped past him and went in the back entrance of Merlotte's, pointedly closing the door behind me as a hint he should not follow. Sam came out of his office as I entered.

"Hey Sam," I smiled. My smiled faded as I looked at his face. He'd been waiting for me and had that uncomfortable-pain-in-the-belly expression of someone about to do something they really don't want to.

"You need to go with that highfalutin' slimeball in the Merc'," he explained, looking like he was braced for an attack.

"Excuse me?"

"I had a call from Northman last night, well just before dawn this morning actually but I doubt he considered that," Sam grumbled. He wanted to make it clear that this was not his idea in the slightest. "Anyway, apparently you 'cannot work tonight because you are required in Shreveport,'" he quoted. "I am to ensure you go, and do so safely, in other words with that guy." Sam waved a hand towards Bobby. Eric's day man had ignored my hint and come in behind me. He was now tapping his foot and looking at his oversized Rolex impatiently. I narrowed my eyes at Sam and pulled my phone out of my purse. There were no messages of any kind.

"Well there must be some mistake, since Eric _does_ have my number," I'd used his name deliberately that time, glancing at Bobby when I did so, "if he wanted me to visit I'm sure he would have called _me_!" I'd planned to simply refuse to go and head in to work but Bobby changed that. Deciding he was sick of waiting for me to do as I was told, he tried to grab me. I'd been leery of having him hovering behind me while I spoke to Sam, so I'd dropped my shields. I heard his intention to simply stuff me into his car whether I liked it not. As he advanced, I spun and punched him on the nose. My phone was still in my hand and I heard a satisfying crunch as my fist made contact.

"OW! Fuck!" Bobby's eyes were watering as he bent over in pain and held his hands over his face. Blood seeped from between his fingers. Convinced he wasn't about to try and grab me again any time soon, I checked my phone wasn't damaged then turned back and eyed Sam. His look said it all. I was still going to Shreveport. I considered forcing my way past him into the bar but Sam was stronger and quicker than Bobby, I wasn't likely to catch him off guard like I had the day man. Sam and I had a whole conversation in facial expressions, to the tune of 'Papa ate Mama' that drifted out to the stock room from the bar, before I gave in.

"Fine. I need to speak to Eric anyway about the manners of his employees," I said, trying to make it sound like I had a choice. This was going to be a fun drive. In fact.

"But I'll just drive myself." I started to get my keys from my purse.

"NO!" Said both Sam and Bobby at once, though Bobby's objection was somewhat muffled. I looked between them.

"Northman was _insistent_. You were to accept the lift," said Sam apologetically.

"I _d_old _d_u ..." Bobby tried to chime in through the blood and swelling in his nose.

"Oh shut up Bobby," I snapped shoving a bar towel from a pile of clean ones at him to mop up with. He was dripping all over the floor. "Let's just go before I change my mind." I stormed back out the door not holding it for Bobby and hearing the _Oomph_ behind me as it hit him. Luckily his car was unlocked so I could get straight in.

It was a silent drive. He didn't even have the radio on. I always like music when I'm driving, it hides the whining noise my car makes. Bobby kept his eyes firmly on the road, mopping at his face and shirt occasionally with the towel, and I kept my eyes focused on the scenery outside the passenger window, my hands neatly in my lap and my ankles innocently crossed in the foot well.

Pam opened the back door when I knocked with an incredibly inviting – I should say, practically salacious – smile. She was about to say something, no doubt lewd, when she was distracted by the smell of blood coming from Bobby as he stomped up behind me. I hadn't even waited for him to turn the engine off before I'd gotten out of the car.

"Was there trouble?" She asked me after looking at him for a moment. She reached forward and tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind my ear, I smacked her hand away.

"Not as much as there is going to be," I said pushing past her and heading to Eric's office. She laughed behind me as I went. I marched straight in without knocking to find Eric halfway into his jeans: they were hitched over his hips but undone, holding up two shirts as if trying to pick one. He looked at me unsurprised as I entered.

"Which do you think?" He asked holding out the shirts.

I made an effort to rip my eyes from his chest, the toned muscles, the light wisps of his happy trail disappearing into … it seemed Eric was going commando tonight … so shirts … right. I looked at them. They both looked same. Exactly the same!

"I think I'm supposed to be at work right now," I said, finally reminded that I was mad at him for not at least 'inviting' me to come see him. Bobby came in just then and Eric stiffened.

"What happened?" He asked sharply.

"She hi_d_ me." Bobby pointed an accusing finger in my direction. I remained unmoved. If I was honest I'd wanted to smack Bobby ever since I'd first met him, I was actually glad to have finally been given a reason to do so.

A flash of genuine surprise crossed Eric's face. He seemed to realise he was still holding up the two identical shirts and flung them on his desk carelessly.

"Why?" He asked Bobby. I was pleased to hear there was some accusation in his voice. Bobby was very quiet suddenly, he'd heard it too. When no one spoke I eventually filled the silence.

"Your … errand boy," I pointed a finger back in Bobby's direction without looking at him, "planned to manhandle me into his car." In my book he'd gotten off lightly, the last guy who'd tried to jump me in the Merlotte's stock room had met the pointy end of a stake.

"She wouldn'_d_ 'ollow orders," Bobby piped in. His nose had started bleeding again. Even I could smell the metallic tang but Eric didn't seem to be affected by it.

"_I_ didn't receive any orders!" I said pointedly keeping my glare directed at the vampire.

Eric's lips twitched but then he gave Bobby a hard look. His face looked chiselled out of creamy alabaster when he set it like that.

"I told you to be polite. If I wanted her manhandled I would not have sent you." Eric informed his day-man, his accent creeping into his voice.

"No, grappling with Sookie is definitely my job," Pam chipped in happily from the door. Eric's lips went a little thinner but other than that he gave no indication he'd heard his child. I glared at her and she gave me a sultry look running her tongue over her top lip suggestively. I looked away again and tried to force myself not to blush. This was exactly why I didn't want to be here right now.

Eric was scowling even more deeply than he had been, causing that little pucker between his eye brows that always made me want to stroke the tension from his face, even when I was embarrassed to be in his presence and angry at having been forced there.

"You are fortunate that Miss Stackhouse hit you," he turned his eyes from Bobby as if the man was barely worth his notice. "If she had not, I would have." Eric wasn't talking about a little tap either, Bobby shuddered. Eric flicked a finger at the door without looking back at his day-man. His dismissal was cold and almost cruelly humiliating especially to someone who looked up to him so much. I felt a stab of pity for Bobby.

Eric picked up one of the shirts from his desk and started to put it on as Pam came to stand beside me, wrapping an arm round my waist. I kept my eyes on Eric so as not to react to her, it would only encourage her. I realised he hadn't apologised for not calling me, or at least sending me a message, about my trip to Fangtasia tonight, nor was he going to. What he had cleverly done was cause enough of a distraction when I arrived that bringing it up now would sound petty. So I just stood there, with Pam squeezing the soft flesh over my hip.

Eric took his time, doing up the buttons of his shirt at human speed. He saved doing up his fly 'til after, even though he didn't even tuck the shirt in. Instead he pulled it up and pinned it under his chin, giving me another display of smooth toned torso. Then he spent a minute adjusting his collar and cuffs. After that he pulled a brush from a drawer and started on his hair.

I countered by taking a file out of my purse and working on what was left of my nails. When he was done with his hair, Eric went round his desk, pulled out some paperwork and sat looking at it. I put my nail-file away and took out my phone. I accessed the Kindle app that Tara had downloaded for me one day when she came into Merlotte's for lunch. I was reading _Sense and Sensibility_. I'd read it before but all the classics were free on Kindle.

We probably would have continued like that all night. Eric certainly had the patience, what was one night in more than 365 thousand? And I wasn't going to speak first, after all he was the one who'd all but had me kidnapped and brought to him. It was Pam that got things moving. She gripped me tighter and started to nuzzle my ear. I ignored her, staying focused on my book. Eric tensed then spoke without looking up.

"Pam, get Sookie a drink." I felt Pam smile against my neck before she pulled back and sashayed from the room closing the door behind her.

Eric observed me sternly while she was gone and I perched defiantly on the arm of one of the chairs seeing as he hadn't offered me a seat and it didn't look like he was going to.

"You broke Bobbie's nose you know," he said hiding his amusement behind a telling off.

"Well I had to put my phone to some use since it's apparently no good as a communication device," I countered. He was hardly in a position to chastise me when he could have prevented the whole scene by just sending me a text. Eric rested his chin on his hands and continued to watch me but didn't say anything further. I read the posters on the wall behind him.

For no apparent reason it struck me at that moment that the raised eyebrow expression he so often accosted me with, the one I was a little too fond of, was very much attached to _this_ Eric. I couldn't recall him looking at me like that when he'd had amnesia. It was a facial equivalent of when Gran used to use my, or more often Jason's, full name to indicate that either we were already in trouble or would be very shortly if not careful.

A few minutes of silence later, a fangy Pam handed me a soda which I sipped gratefully. I'd worn my shorts uniform for work at Merlotte's tonight for the first time this year. I was celebrating having been able to sunbathe for a while. Even just an hour in the sun had brightened up my tan a little and I'd shaved my legs perfectly smooth, moisturising well to combat the risk of sun damage. As I perched, a drip of condensation fell from the base of my glass and ran down my leg. Both vampires in the room watched it in silence, Eric just with his eyes and Pam with a cocked head that was suggestive. I wasn't sure if the goosebumps were from the cool water or the hot gazes.

"It is not working out," Eric said seriously, raising his gaze. I questioned him with my eyes as I took a sip of my drink. "You working in the bar," he explained. "It is no good," I spat out a small amount of soda as I choked on my indignation.

"What do you mean my work is no good?" I demanded, grabbing a tissue from a box on his desk and wiping the liquid from my chin. "I know I've had to learn a few things, Fangtasia works a little different to Merlotte's, but I'm a good server." Eric was just looking amused. "Just ask the customers. That shifter thought I was great and gave me a big tip."

"I am not interested in your work for the dog." Eric tried to brush my defence aside but he'd misunderstood me.

"I wasn't talking about _Sam_," I emphasised his name, it wasn't like Eric didn't know what it was. "Though he does call me his best waitress. I meant the one in here last night – he thought I was doing a good job even with all the shenanigans I was putting up with." If my work wasn't as good as it should be he had only himself to blame. My comment had more impact than I'd expected. Now both vampires were glaring at me.

"What Shifter are you referring to?" Eric asked dangerously. I looked at him in shock. Surely his silly games with Bill hadn't distracted him so much he'd missed something as obvious as another large supe in his bar. It's not like Luke had been subtle about his presence. I looked at Pam expecting her to know what I was talking about. She was looking at me as intently as Eric and seemed disquieted.

"How could you both miss the big broad handsome guy sitting right in the middle of the bar?" I said looking back at Eric. "Gorgeous, long dark hair, deep green eyes, warm smile," I continued. Eric's eyes got narrower at each description. "Er …" I stumbled as both vampires started to look more and more like the predators they were. "It seemed like he knew you, he said his name was Luke." I was almost squeaking by this point so I shut up.

I wasn't sure what was going on but as I mentioned his name Eric looked really pissed and growled. Pam looked at him for a long moment then made a small noise that was part surprise part disgust. I looked back and forth between them.

"This explains a lot," Eric said to Pam with a hint of triumph. Pam looked unhappy.

"Explains what?" I asked impatiently as they clearly didn't plan to tell me what they were talking about. Eric's joy disappeared as he looked back at me.

"You didn't think to mention this shifter to me last night?" He accused.

"I didn't think I needed to," I shot back. "He was sitting right there in front of you and I thought you guys could tell." Eric looked slightly less pissed and I relaxed a little since he did.

"With normal shifters that is the case," he explained. "'Luke', however, is not a normal shifter."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He is older than me for a start," Eric said watching my face. I felt my eyeballs turn to saucers. That explained the stories he was telling about Eric as a human but I'd thought shifters lived normal human lifetimes, not hundreds of years.

"Then how come you didn't even realise he was here?" Worry was starting to stir in my belly. Could some sort of super-shifter really be right under Eric's nose without him realising? Had we been in danger? Eric however smiled.

"Because he didn't wish for me to recognise him. He has the ability to suppress his essence just as he can change his physical appearance." Eric's eyes had become distant as he sank into his own past.

"What sort of shifter is he?"

"What ever sort he wants to be." Pam answered me as Eric had mentally wandered off. Her voice was full of distaste.

"So he's like Sam?" I asked still trying to figure out who this Luke was.

"Loki is much more powerful than your shifter," Pam's voice suggested I should have known this and I frowned at her. "He is the first shapeshifter ever known to exist, it's his fault all the others came about. He keeps procreating, then they breed among themselves and voilà – nasty new species. All weres and shifters are from him originally. Unlike the rest though he can change rapidly and repeatedly, will not die naturally and can change his human appearance as well as take animal form," she explained. "His usual human guise is much more scrawny than how he appeared last night," she added scathingly. She was clearly not a fan. I was mid-smile at the fact that he'd managed to get under her skin when the name she'd said registered.

"Did you say Loki? Like the God of mischief?" I looked back at Eric for clarification. He sneered.

"He is no more a God than I am," he gave me a seductive smile, "Less of one in fact," he added. I ignored his implication, I was all too aware what sort of 'God' Eric was. He became serious again. "He is however very dangerous. As you may have noticed, his influence can cause people to act out of character, to behave impulsively, or challenge those around them. It makes them less cautious." He flashed that triumphant smile at Pam again. "If you are smart, you will stay away from him." Eric's 'suggestion' was delivered somewhere between threat and order.

With that, he was done with the subject. He picked up the paperwork he'd been reading earlier and glanced between it and me in a way that told me he was ready to move on. I made a mental note to find out more about Luke/Loki.

"This incident confirms what I invited you here to discuss," he said. I made at face at the term 'invite' which he ignored. "Your level of work is not the problem." He brushed a hand through his hair dismissively and placed his feet up on his desk. I got the impression he knew exactly how sexy he looked when he did that, for all his languor. His chair was one of those that tilt back and he pushed his shoulders against the backrest to adjust the positioning while still fingering his hair. The combination of arching his back and his raised arm gave me a flash of stomach. The soft tuft of hair that peeped over his jeans reminded me that Eric wasn't wearing anything under his pants tonight. I bit my tongue hard enough to focus on the pain rather than anything else.

"The problem is that you are ..." he appeared to be searching for the right words, not something Eric needed to do much. I waited in silence.

Finally he looked at Pam. "What was Bill's phrase for Sookie?" he asked. I was certain they had rehearsed this little scene, or at least planned it.

"Vampire bait," said Pam with a smile and a wink at me.

"Ah yes, that was it," Eric said. "Not the most flattering description, but it's true. You are very attractive to vampires, your scent is especially distinctive." Pam gave an appreciative growl of agreement.

"I'm not sure there is much I can do about that." Supes did like to sniff me a lot but I'd always figured that was just normal for them. Now I felt like I needed better deodorant or something.

"I would hate to think of you doing anything about it, you smell delicious." Eric let his fangs run out a bit. Pam looked like she was going to say something and Eric flicked her a glare before continuing. "But it does make you an unsuitable bar-maid for Fangtasia. I do not like trouble in my bar and you attract it." Was he blaming the whole Bill thing on me? Hadn't he just said it was Loki's fault?

I opened my mouth to protest but he carried on talking before I could get a sound out. "Whether you intend to or not. So I have an alternative job offer for you." I shut my mouth with a snap and took a moment to digest this.

"What do you mean an alternative job offer?" I asked cautiously. What was I in for now?

"Well that is perhaps not an entirely accurate description. You see you _are_ going to continue working for me." Eric had rested his interlocked fingers on his stomach and was tapping his thumbs together. "The debt is not paid, and you are under my care until your legal issues are dealt with. As such, _offer_ might not be quite the right term, but I believe this alternative job will both make better use of your talents and be more appropriate for you." Eric was looking too pleased with himself.

I narrowed my eyes. If it had just been the Sam thing I could have argued that as Sam had borrowed a member of bar staff, that was all Eric could ask in return but with the other stuff ... as long as I was on bail, it was either agree to what Eric wanted or go back to prison. I wondered how bad the job would have to be for me to chose the latter option.

"You will report to my office every Wednesday for the same hours as your bar duties so it will not be such a big change. I will simply utilise your …" he looked into my eyes deeply, "… other skills." I blanched. What exactly was he after? I glanced at Pam but she was too busy staring at the soft skin of my inner thigh, right about where my shorts ended, to meet my eye. My discomfort notched up another level. "Your telepathy Sookie," Eric explained, sounding slightly exasperated.

I glanced back at him, exhaling with relief, then blushed at the floor. He gave me a minute to feel my shame before continuing as if I hadn't just half swallowed my foot. "You will be a personal aide of sorts. The position is more highly paid than that of barmaid and comes with some very necessary benefits." He smiled winningly.

I knew it wasn't just _my_ mind that had read something dirty into his words, but the job itself actually sounded OK. I'd just been so thrown by the whole conversation, the obvious talent he would want to use hadn't occurred to me. In part this was because being with vampires was when I was able to push my telepathy to the back of my mind. I guess it made sense that what made them attractive to me was the other side of the coin of what made me attractive to them.

Eric slid a piece of paper across his desk to me. I stood, picked it up and started reading. It was a contract. I took a step back and sank into a chair as I read. Then squeaked and hopped up again as I realised Pam had taken that seat while I wasn't looking. She smiled at me in a fangy way that let me know I was more than welcome to sit on her lap but I moved over to the other chair and sat carefully before returning my attention to the contract Eric had handed me. The pay alone was reason for my weak knees.

"Eric this is too much," I protested.

"It is the same hours you are already doing," he sounded surprised at my comment. "Except in the case of a special project, and you had agreed to work those the first time I employed your services," he reminded me. I hadn't forgotten the deal I'd made the night Longshadow tried to kill me. "Also, this job will not require you to be running around getting groped all night. You can be sitting." Clearly he wasn't going to guarantee a grope free job which considering Pam's antics was not surprising.

I ignored his playfulness. "No, I mean, the hourly rate, it's too high. And then health insurance on top. And I don't need a company car, I already have a car." I'd been working my way down the document in my hand, flicking my eyes to Eric as I spoke.

"You are exasperatingly fragile, and have required medical attention on several occasions as a result of your work for me. Bill has told me you have been unwilling to take vampire blood at times, even when you are injured." There was a warmth in Eric's eye that I avoided. I hadn't refused his the one time he'd _asked_. It was true that I had refused Bill's blood before. I didn't like the changes vampire blood produced in me, the glowing skin especially. Besides, Bill had always seemed a little too keen to give it to me, offering to heal every little cut or scratch, which made me leery.

Eric looked thoughtful when I didn't respond but continued with the issue of my 'benefits'. "Also Pam assures me your car is not safe and should be scrapped. You need to be able to get here and back in one piece." I felt protective of my car and opened my mouth to protest but he went on. "I may occasionally require you to meet me at alternative locations to sit in on meetings. I cannot have you showing up in some antique jalopy." I couldn't argue with that one, my car didn't exactly look 'executive' but I was still disgruntled.

"You're one to talk about antiques," I mumbled. I'd meant to keep the thought to myself and only realised it had slipped out when Pam roared with laughter. I threw my hand over my mouth as I realised my slip and glanced apologetically at Eric. He was not amused. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for what he was offering, but it was a knee-jerk reaction to defend my car. It might not be great but it was mine.

I was used to the way you had to pump the gas pedal a few times to get it going. That you had to start it in first because it wouldn't work in drive until you got up to 20mph. That you also had to wiggle the handbrake to get it to release. These things gave my car character. I was less enamoured with the spongy brakes, the way it guzzled gas and the way it leaked when it rained, but these things too where part of its character. The biggest problem though was not my love of my car, it was that I wasn't sure I was worth what Eric wanted to pay me. He'd already done too much. I found him confusing enough without becoming even more indebted to him.

He had sat up and was now leaning across his desk towards me in a threatening manner. "So we have a deal!?" There was only a hint of question in his declaration. Opportunistic as always, I realised Eric was saying he would let my snarky comment slide as long as I agreed to his terms. I closed my eyes to avoid the intensity of his. I needed to think. There had to be a way, an objection I could come up with that he would accept.

* * *

A/N: Not sure how soon I can get the next one up but will try not to keep you waiting too long xx


	25. Working Telepath

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******The great and wonderful treewitch703 has once again worked her magic and I am, as always, incredibly grateful. xx. **

******Good Yule everyone, sorry about the delays, will hopefully get more to you before New Year. Thank you for all the comments and love, during this crazy time it means a lot :) **

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**Chapter 25: Working Telepath **

**Dating Don't: Don't confuse business and pleasure, when in a work meeting try to remain professional – even if the meeting is in your bed and the person you are meeting is mostly naked.**

The next morning I stood by the window in my living room with a cup of coffee in my hand staring at my driveway. My new Porche Cayenne was shining in the sun. Eric hadn't been kidding when he said _offer_ wasn't the right word. It had been waiting for me in the Fangtasia parking lot, which was why Eric had made sure I didn't drive over. Well that and the fact that he'd arranged for my other car to be terminated while I was gone.

Uncharacteristically, Hoyt had tried to drive after a few too many and reversed into it causing enough damage that my car was a write off. The fact that of all the Merlotte's regulars, Hoyt was perhaps the least likely to drink and drive in no way dented Eric's insistence that he had nothing to do with it. And the two guys from the scrap yard that 'just happened' to be in Merlotte's and decided they 'may as well' take my car for crushing before I even got back from Bon Temps only elicited a 'how convenient' from the vampire. Not even the fact Jason's friend had somehow reversed all the way from customer parking in front into the staff area around back in order to hit my car got Eric to admit any culpability but he did go quiet when I got to that point. At least Hoyt wasn't hurt. Sam cleared my car out for me before the scrap yard guys towed it and left my stuff in a bag on my porch. I'd found it when I'd gotten home, along with a notification of the destruction of my Malibu.

Pam had shown the new car to me and explained the extras Eric had gotten (which sounded like all of them). She'd even offered to help me christen it. I passed. Eric had told Pam to show me out about 20 seconds into a call he'd gotten that had changed his expression from gloating to stern in a millisecond. I wasn't sure what it was about but it clearly didn't concern me so it was probably best to know nothing.

Pam had also told me, while I looked over my new car trying to hide my enthusiasm for it, that it was my neighbour I had to thank for my new job. Apparently after I had kissed Pam and stormed out of Eric's office, Bill had insisted that Eric was putting me in danger by 'forcing' me to work in the bar and that he should just drop the whole thing.

The impression I got from Pam, though she never said it outright, was that if Bill hadn't made such a fuss Eric was going to let me return to Merlotte's full time, debt paid, but after Bill ranted for thirty minutes Eric decided to come up with an alternative role for me, one that would ensure he could watch over me more carefully. Bill was most upset, Pam delighted.

I left the window to top up my coffee and use the phone. I had to tell Sam I couldn't work my lunch shift today because I had a meeting with my lawyer about the progress on my case. Another appointment I was only told about last minute. Pam had hinted that this new desire of Eric's to control my movements was due to his displeasure in _my_ move of kissing her, though she did say he was happier I'd picked her than he would have been had it been someone else.

Characteristically, Eric had been very serious about the business side of our deal. Not only had the contract been written up by a lawyer, but the lawyer in question was also waiting in the bar so that after Eric had secured my agreement he could notarize the signing of the contract. It wasn't the same one as was handling my murder charges and I didn't know what he _was_ but he wasn't human. The only thing I could get from his brain was fuzz, like white noise. He was very polite and nice to me, being completely forthcoming about the terms and happy to change the wording of some clauses to something I was more comfortable with. To be fair, Eric hadn't put in anything too awful but he wouldn't be Eric if he didn't try to slip one by me.

I had noticed that the contract I signed for my new job didn't have an end date on it and that, unlike my work in his bar where I was still officially Sam's employee, I was now working for Eric directly., but I couldn't really complain,. I was already in Eric's custody so being an employee wouldn't make much difference. The money was good and, awkward as it could be at times, I was getting used to the hours I spent at Fangtasia, and part of me was hoping Eric might want to keep me on even after Sam's debt was paid.

Best of all, Eric had said I could use his name again, no more Master or Mr Northman. Overall, considering the extra pay and the benefits the job was a lot of peace of mind for a little inconvenience. Plus any excuse to drive my new car was fine by me. Eric even said I could claim for the gas because it was a company car but I was hoping I wouldn't have to. Since Eric was already paying my insurance and registration, I'd still be better off even if the Porsche used twice as much gas as my old car.

[***]

My lawyer arrived just before noon, I had coffee and lunch waiting. I liked him so I'd even made one of Gran's strawberry rhubarb pies. Or I had liked him until he started putting me through my paces for the witness stand. At first it was OK. He walked me through the main points of the prosecution and my answers to the evidence against me, advising me to stick to the facts and not elaborate into my impressions or ideas.

Then he started the 'cross examination.' Within a few questions he practically had me admitting I was the gunman on the grassy knoll. He let me take a break and I made more coffee while he had a slice of pie.

"Do you know what time it is?" He suddenly asked. I glanced at the clock.

"About 2:30," I said looking at him, we'd been talking longer than I thought.

"Wrong," he said.

"What? No it is, it's …" I looked at the clock again.

"You didn't listen to the question. One short word will answer it. Try again. Do you know what time it is?" He looked at me significantly.

"Yes?" I tried.

"Perfect. Do not volunteer information. Listen carefully to _exactly_ what they ask rather than positing what they want to know. Only answer the question they ask and do so as briefly and accurately as possible." I absorbed this for a moment then nodded. He reached out and touched my hand gently. "We have time. Hopefully Mr Northman will find the evidence needed to avoid court altogether but just in case I want you to be as prepared as possible which is why we're starting this early."

I knew he was just doing his job, that he really did want to help me. But I also knew what he was thinking. That even though their evidence was substantial, our biggest liability was me. He was pretty sure they would be able to get me to say something stupid, that I would get riled and mess up, handing them what they needed to insist on the death penalty. He'd seen it happen before.

Plus he knew from our other conversations, that when I felt something was unjust I'd get mad and mouth off. It had happened while he was cross-examining me. He was hoping, with enough preparation, he could get me through it. "We'll go slower this time," he said as I sat back at the table. "Just think about exactly what I'm asking and the most direct response." I nodded again and we got to it.

It was two hours later when he finally left. I was amazed he'd spent so long with me, surely he had other clients to see. I was exhausted after he drove off. On auto-pilot I cooked and ate something. Then sank gratefully into a nice hot bubble bath. I leaned my head back and tried to get my muscles to relax.

I woke up a while later in cold water after starting awake from a bad dream. I'd been on the witness stand and my mouth kept talking, saying all kinds of stupid things. I couldn't stop it, even when I tried to put my hands over my mouth, it just kept going. I pulled the plug and tried to imagine all those negative thoughts draining away with the bath water. It was early but I decided to go straight to bed with my new novel. I think I got about a page and a half in before my eyes were drooping and I switched off the lamp.

[~~~]

There was a sweet scent on the breeze that reminded me of my childhood. Only that wasn't quite right because I didn't have many happy childhood memories and the scent was a happy one. The sun shone, reflecting off the wide expanse of water before me, it looked big enough to be an ocean but it was extremely still with only the slight ripple from the breeze brushing it here and there.

I was barefoot in the sand which formed a thin strip along the edge of the water and behind me was the greenest forest I've ever seen, even in pictures. There was safety and joy in the air but a soft melancholy too. I couldn't explain it. I lifted my face to the touch of the sun and smiled as the warm rays were balanced by the brush of a cool breeze that feathered first across my cheek, then swept over the rest of me.

I stepped forwards into the water and felt the cool ripples tickle my legs, sending a delicious shiver up my spine. There was something seductive about the touch of the water and I gave a half-gasp, half-sigh. I could feel someone's gaze and wanted to look round to see who was watching but I couldn't seem to open my eyes. I started to turn in the water and felt it continue to brush against my skin.

"I do not recall ever having dreams I could remember. What were you dreaming about?" Asked a soft voice in the darkness.

"Paradise," I murmured sleepily.

"Really? What is paradise?" I felt the soft caress running up my leg again only this time I recognised it as fingertips and my eyes flew open.

Eric's head was on the pillow next to me, his eyelids trembled when I grabbed his hand to stop it reaching any higher up my leg. Though his hand quieted under mine, questions still lingered in the blue irises now watching me. I took a second to orient myself. I was in my bed. So was Eric it seemed. From what I could feel of his skin next to mine he was naked or wearing very little. I glared at him and he guilelessly smiled back.

"Paradise is a world where I can go to sleep without people climbing into my bed whenever they feel like it," I snapped pushing his hand away from my leg and smoothing my nightshirt down as far as I could.

"Well then it should be renamed, it doesn't sound like the idyllic place a paradise should be to me." He shifted up onto an elbow and rested his head on his hand so he was looking down at me.

"I have already told you it is impolite to go jumping into people's beds uninvited." I pushed back slightly so we were not so close together.

"I have an invite or I couldn't be here." He was perfectly relaxed, the cocky bastard.

"You have an invite into my house, not my bed!"

"I have an invite to the place where you reside, at the moment you are residing in bed." He was still managing to give the impression of innocence, as if he was unaware how inappropriate it was to slide into someone's bed in the middle of the night while they're sleeping.

I gave up. It wasn't like I could make him leave. Not without rescinding his invitation completely and I couldn't do that while I was still in his custody. He'd already threatened to make me stay somewhere else if I didn't behave. I tucked the sheet around me to draw more specific lines of separation between us and started to sit up. Eric looked perfectly at ease, regardless of the fact we were both laying in my bed and he didn't seem to be wearing anything. He just watched me as I tried to remove all sense of intimacy by putting as much bedding between us a possible without uncovering myself.

"Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"Yes."

"What?" I stopped rearranging the blankets and looked at him, alarmed. "What is it? Is it Pam? Or Jason? Or Sam? Or Bill?" Eric smiled at me and I had the nasty feeling Bill would be hearing that he was fourth on my list.

I gave him a stern-ish look (I was more worried than irritated) and hoped he'd just tell me what was wrong. I tried to think what could have happened but my mind was blank.

"Pam will be happy to know you worry about her. Or is this just since …" I put my fingers over his lips before he could say it and heat came into his eyes. "I have been wondering something," he said against my fingers. Before I could asked what, he removed my hand and leaned in as if to kiss me.

I thought I knew what this was about. He'd felt my response when I'd kissed Pam. He wanted to compare it to how I responded to him. Knowing this didn't stop me from responding. It seemed my body responded to Eric regardless of where my mind was. My eyes closed as my head tipped back and my lips parted automatically, ready to meet his, but he stopped just short of contact, even pulling back slightly as I leaned in to him. I opened my eyes, confused. He just looked satisfied and kissed my head like he had the night we'd gone out to dinner. I shook off the moment and decided to change the subject.

"Eric just tell me what's wrong," I insisted.

"I have arranged for you to have some time off from your other job. I will be requiring your services full time for a while."

"What? Why? Is everyone all right?" Why was he playing not-kissing games if people were in danger, and if no one was in danger why was he in my bed in the middle of the night not-kissing me.

"For now everyone is fine. Except for seven vampires and sixteen Weres you have not met and now never will." Eric seemed fairly calm but that was a lot of casualties.

"Seven … and sixteen … oh my God, what happened? Was it the Fellowship of the Sun? They don't know about weres do they? Or have they found out?" My brain was in overdrive and I grabbed the blankets to throw them off. Then I rethought that as I remembered the nightshirt I had on was fairly see-through.

Eric was looking amused.

"Are you teasing me? That's not funny Eric. You weren't in that basement with Gabe. You don't know what they're like." Eric's smile vanished. Anger flitted across his face and his arm shot out so it was over me. After a moment of rigid stillness, he tucked the covers around me and retreated back to his side of the bed.

"No, I am not teasing you. I was only amused by your reaction. I half expected you to pull a samurai sword from beneath your bed and roll out wearing black pyjamas." I had to smile as I imagined myself as a ninja. Eric relaxed back down onto his elbow and continued. "The Fellowship are not involved. This is a matter between the Were and vampire communities." The smiled returned but it was less bright than it had been.

"Oh. So are you here to hide from the Weres? Because Alcide knows you stayed with me before so …" Eric looked very offended and I shut up. It took him a minute to speak and when he did his voice was tight.

"I do not hide. I certainly would not hide from Alcide Herveaux," he said absolutely. "I am here because as my employee I need you to do your job." There was so much authority in his voice I felt the inclination to salute him. I settled for trying to sit up attentively. A move disrupted somewhat by the need to suddenly prevent the covers from sliding down. I wasn't wearing a bra, obviously as I was in bed, and the nightshirt was, as I said, fairly see-through.

"OK, well look, why don't you go in the living room and I'll come out in a minute and warm your blood." I stumbled over my words in my embarrassment. Eric was looking curiously at the covers now clutched over my chest.

"I see no reason to relocate, you are warming my blood just fine right here," he answered without raising his gaze. I blushed and pulled the blanket tighter. Eric waited a moment but then sighed and threw the covers off himself. As he strode across my bedroom I could see he was wearing nothing but the briefest of red briefs overburdened by his outrageously large package. I averted my eyes quickly before my feelings could give me away. I suspected he was only wearing them because I'd told him about before. But then, would he really put on special underwear to come talk to me about work? It was Eric, the man who thought having a business meeting snuggled in my Gran's bed was just fine, yes he would.

He went into my bathroom and came back with the robe that hung on the back of the door. I wasn't sure how he knew it was there. He handed it to me then stood watching and waiting. I tried to put it on under the covers but even so I'm pretty sure he got a good glimpse. Once I had it tied around me I relaxed some, feeling more decent. Eric climbed back into the bed but stayed sitting up with his back against the headboard.

"Seriously? You want to have a work meeting in bed?"

"Yes." He leaned over the far edge, giving me an eye-full of his red-clad butt, and came back up with a folder in his hand. I was certain, given the length of his arms, that there was no need for him to lean right over like that.

Eric explained that the call he'd received the night before was from a vampire in New York who was reporting the murder there of a highly placed vampire by a group of Weres. There had been similar incidents in other states, with important vamps involved in each case. He then walked me through a whole lot of Were-vampire history. Wars, and treaties, and rules of interaction that had developed over the centuries. Then he explained the build up that had led to several high-level vamps in three different states getting attacked. That had ultimately led to the recent rash of violence that resulted in the deaths of so many Weres and vampires over the last two nights. Now all vampire-Were relations were in jeopardy.

Eric said he had no personal animosity towards the local Weres but needed to be sure they were not plotting against him or his vampires. As I had an in with them, he wanted me to find out what they were thinking and report back to him.

"They know of your ability so may be able to avoid thinking about anything they do not want me to know. You will need to be careful, try to get Alcide to come visit you at Merlotte's so you can listen without being at risk yourself. You are _not_ to go to them," he insisted. "I will need to know numbers, locations, anything that will help me … defend against an attack."

He claimed he wanted to remain on good working terms with the local pack and maintain the current business relations they had but that his attempts to open communication had been ignored. There was too little trust between their kinds.

"What we need, is a go-between. Someone trusted by both sides. You are a Friend of the Pack, and as you have had my blood you cannot lie to me. It also helps that you are physically weaker than both Weres and vampires making you non-threatening, but are … strong enough in your personality not to be easily swayed by a weak argument."

"You mean I'm stubborn."

"I mean you stand up for what you believe, even when faced with people more powerful than you." There was a certain admiration in Eric's gaze and my back straightened a little in response. "If the issues are not resolved, more and more violence will break out. Sooner or later someone you know will be hurt Sookie. I am trying to prevent that but I need your help." He knew all the buttons to push on me.

I chewed on my lip, trying to sort through all the persuasive gambits to niggle out exactly what he was expecting me to do. In the end I just asked.

"OK, cut the crap Eric, I get the why. But you want me to _what_, exactly?" I sat up, cross legged, facing him.

"I want you to use your relationship with them to find out what the Weres are up to."

"You want me to spy on them?" I frowned.

"If they attack I will have no choice but to wipe them out, something I assure you I am more than capable of doing. However if I can discover their plans beforehand, I may be able to prevent bloodshed or at least limit it." Eric was not happy he'd had to admit the possibility that he would be contemplating mass murder, and of people I knew. But one thing I had to admit about Eric, though at times he could compete for evasion champion of the world, mostly he didn't lie to me. If I asked him outright he told me the truth.

As I tried to work out how I felt about what he was saying, reaching onto my night stand and grabbing a hair-clip to sweep my hair up on top of my head, he continued. "I will not endanger myself or those I am responsible …" he became distracted when my robe fell open, stopping mid-sentence to enjoy the view. I retied the cord to cover myself and ignored his ogling.

"Why do you want me to meet them at Merlotte's? I don't want to drag Sam into this." I figured focusing on business would get him back on point.

"The dog is not neutral regardless. The primary issues are between the vampires and the Weres, but all shifters would be drawn in if it escalates. You can be sure they are already monitoring the situation carefully, deciding which side they will be on if they have to choose one. But Merlotte will make sure you are not harmed, despite your connection to m … vampires."

I rubbed my face and shook off the last of my sleep brain. I wasn't convinced I was going to do exactly what Eric was asking but I did work for him and besides, he was right that trouble within the supe community would affect a lot of people I cared about.

"OK, I need to go over all this again, to make sure I understand it properly," I said seriously. I thought I understood everything he'd told me so far but it wouldn't do to be the spark in the powder keg because I didn't grasp all the aspects of what was going on. Eric gave me the file to look through and I started repeating back to him everything he'd told me, with him correcting or adding information where needed.

**[~~~]**

At some point, as I read over all the vamp-Were law, I must have just fallen asleep. I woke in the morning to find my robe had been removed and I'd been tucked into bed. The folder with all the information that I'd spread over the quilt, was once again neatly organised and sitting on my dressing table with a note from Eric.

_ONLY meet with Alcide and ONLY in public, preferably the Shifter's bar. _

_Be careful. Remember that Alcide is a Were first! _

_Stay away from Furnan, he is untrustworthy even by fleabag standards. _

_Do NOT meet with any other Weres without talking to me. _

_**~E~**_

_PS, I like your sleepwear, your breasts are titillatingly displayed._

Apparently my suggestion that I just visit Alcide at his work in Shreveport had not fallen on deaf ears, just uncompromising ones. I decided I needed a more balanced take on the whole thing before I spoke to Alcide. For all Eric had insisted he wanted to resolve the issues, he had a definite bias towards the 'vampires are right and Weres are wrong' opinion. It took me about half a second to figure out who I needed to speak to. Besides I wanted to check that Sam was OK with Eric's appropriation of me. Maybe I could still offer to do some lunch shifts if he was short. I was sure he knew about the problems, he always seemed to know about everything in the supe world.


	26. War of the Supes

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******This chapter has a whole lot of chat about supe politics – sorry about that but I figured I'd get it all out of the way together then we can get back to Viking. The amazing treewitch703 has worked hard trying to help me with this chapter but I've made quite a lot of changes since her last read through so any mistakes are mine.**

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**Chapter 26: War of the Supes **

**Dating Don't: Don't forget to eat, much as stimulating (or nauseatingly frustrating) conversation can distract you, you should still take time to enjoy your food.**

Eric had told me all about the Were that was causing trouble. His name was Sir Lance Trentham, a powerful figure from a long line of noble-Weres. As you might guess there aren't many Weres with titles, so the family's something of a icon for a lot of groups. He had wiped out nearly all the vampires in his area and was encouraging other Weres to do the same. By exploiting their weaknesses, such as fire, daylight and silver, he'd killed or run off all but one who he kept – as a pet.

Yep, I know, sounds nuts right, a pet vampire. When Eric told me I couldn't prevent the image popping into my head of him in a cage with one of those clip-on water bottles (only full of blood) attached to the side and a plastic human-shaped toy dangling from the bars for him to play with. Even in my head, the bored look on his face didn't hide the killer in his eyes that was just waiting for his captors to get close enough – for even a fraction of a second. I couldn't see how it might work but you couldn't blame the vamps for being upset about it.

[~~~]

I let myself in the back door when I got to Merlotte's as I didn't know what the other staff had been told about why I was off work. I didn't want to upset anyone by casually sitting in the bar after not showing up for my shift.

Sam was in his office and smiled brightly as I came in.

"Hey Sam, I'm sorry about work today." I pulled a face to say I hadn't had a choice in the matter. "I came by to see if you'd managed to get my shifts covered all right or if you still needed me to work. Nights are pretty much a no-no but I can probably sneak in a couple of lunch shifts."

"I don't think that would work out well for either of us." He let me know with a smile that he appreciated the offer though. Clearly Eric had been adamant on that subject as well as me not meeting Alcide at his work. I hoped this wasn't a bad sign when it came to the seed of an idea that'd germinated in my sleep.

I'd made it clear to Eric that from now on, if he needed me to put in extra hours for him he had to let _me_ make the arrangements with Sam. He hadn't been happy but I'd insisted and after pointing out some of the things I'd had to put up with for the sake of _his_ work, his position in the supernatural community, he relented and agreed. I'd even made him promise, which he really hated because we both knew he'd stick to it if he did.

"What's going on? You look tired … beautiful but tired," Sam revised when I frowned.

"Well, I've got a new job." His eyebrows flew upward and he looked a tad upset, I realised he thought I was quitting and put him straight. "It's the same hours as the other one for Eric, well mostly." I explained my new PA role, as much as I understood it and Sam looked happier by the time I'd finished.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about how it came about," I said. I'd planned my approach, a casual build up – oh I met someone you might know – led to this new job – oh by the way have you heard about … well that was the plan anyway, one of these days I'll accept that nothing in my life EVER goes to plan.

"Do you know a real old Shifter called Loki?" I asked casually. All the colour drained from Sam's face.

"How do you know about Loki?" He asked. It wasn't the reaction I was expecting, you'd think I'd just dropped the biggest bombshell ever, not simply mentioned a mutual acquaintance.

"He was in Fangtasia on Wednesday night," I said puzzled. "He was at one of my tables so I was serving him."

"Loki was in Fangtasia? Did he … What did he tell you?" Sam was running his hands through his hair and looked like he wanted to flee never to be seen in Bon Temps again. What on earth could Loki have told me that would produce that kind of reaction in Sam? Was Sam a criminal in hiding, or in some kind of witness protection programme? I tried to calm him so he'd speak to me.

"Just some old stories about Eric." Sam relaxed as he tried to assess if I was telling the truth. Deciding I was, he calmed further but I wasn't letting him off that easily. "Why? What did you think he'd told me?"

Sam and I were good friends, we knew each other's secrets, well a lot of them anyway. But we both held stuff back too. I knew almost nothing about his life from before he'd come to Bon Temps. I knew when it was on his mind though. I'd get a flicker of emotions from him that were tinted with something that wasn't quite nostalgia; There was sorrow and longing and that distant feeling that indicated a person was thinking of the past but there wasn't the feeling of 'missing the past,' the longing wasn't for the past or not exactly. I felt it now as he sank into himself for a long time. I said nothing. I understood that sometimes you just need a minute or two.

Slowly his eyes came back into focus. He put his elbows on the desk and looked at me for a long time with his chin rested on his thumbs. "What do you know about Loki?" He asked in a way that suggested he was searching for a place to start.

"Not much. I've read some of the myths, and Pam and Eric told me he was the first shifter: that all two-natured are his descendants, so I guess that makes him like your great-great grandpa or something?"

"Or something," Sam smiled in agreement. Then he nodded to himself as he seemed to come to a decision.

You know when you mention to your parents that you would like something pretty for your birthday and they get you Johnny Depp? Well OK, so _that_ never happens, but my point is: it is not only far more than you were asking, it is also of a completely different nature to what you were expecting. I'd asked Sam about Loki expecting to hear how he was some sort of relative that dropped in from time to time, what I got was the full story on Shifters and their place in the supe world. It was nothing like I'd thought.

I'd known Sam for years before I discovered he was a shifter. With all the other supes in my life, the vampires, Weres and even Calvin and the panthers, I'd known _what_ they were before I got to know _who_ they were. Perhaps because of this, I'd always thought of Sam as more like me, a person with a quirk, rather than a real supe. (Of course, I saw Jason this way too, but then so did a lot of the supes, with him being a bitten.) Boy had I shifted a werecrow into a fish.

While shifters, as in werewolves, werepanthers, wereowls, werebats etc, existed in smaller or larger groups pretty much everywhere, it seems that Shifters, capital S – as in those, like Sam, who were not restricted to one type of animal, were very _very_ rare. No one knew how they were created (apparently Loki had tried many times to create them on purpose but it never happened), every now and again one would just be born. Unlike Were's and other shifters, Shifters were not always the first-born, and though sometimes they came from were parents, other times it was humans with were heritage or a mixed couple – a were and a human. Sam's theory was that it was a genetic mutation but he said no one had ever found out for sure.

Like the weres, Shifters varied in strength: how long it would take them to turn, ease of turning when it wasn't a full moon, how long to recover after etc, but their ability to be a variety of animals gave them advantages over all the others. Some weaker Shifters lost this advantage during their life, either due to age or trauma or just because, they'd become like other shifters, limited to one alternative form, those that retained it were considerably stronger – or 'more powerful' perhaps describes it better, than other two natured.

As such they often played an important role in negotiating between disputing groups. They could claim affinity with all packs without being specifically aligned with any one. There was an organisation that monitored the few Shifters that were born and tracked down. Loki, as the patriarch (or sometimes matriarch) of all the two-natured, oversaw them. Sam had refused to be any part of it. He wouldn't tell me why but I could see there was something painful hidden there.

I knew Sam didn't want to talk about what he'd told me, not yet anyway. It had been hard for him to tell me about it at all and I appreciated his confidence. I wanted to respect his wishes, unfortunately it was all pretty close to what _I'd_ come to talk to _him_ about and there just wasn't time to put it off. Still I wouldn't push on the Shifter stuff, it was the recent killings I was worried about. He put an end to the discussion by leaving the room, saying he'd be right back.

[***]

"Since you're not involved in this negotiation business, I guess you wouldn't know anything about some trouble between the Weres and the vampires?" I asked as casually as I could after Sam had returned with two cups of coffee and announced he'd ordered us some food. Of course he did know, he always knew – at least that made more sense now. He narrowed his eyes and growled out his reply.

"Stay out of it Sookie. These things are too violent and too deep rooted." I was a little stunned by the vehemence of his response and even a little hurt at the edge to his tone. It took me a second to recover and continue.

"Well I can't stay out if it." I tried to keep my voice even and reasonable. "It's my new job to try and … I dunno," I trailed off. I didn't think Sam would approve of what Eric had asked me to do.

"He wants you to dig up shit on the Weres by reading their minds?" Sam looked distrustfully at me. I was hurt and let it show.

"Of course he does but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it. I _am_ going to find out if the people I know plan to start killing each other, I figure that much _does_ concern me," I snapped. "And you could help me rather than biting my head off."

"Help you do what? Get yourself killed in the cross fire, I don't think so Sookie." Sam gave me a smile that was almost patronising and shook his head. I was used to being talked down to by pretty much everyone I met but I didn't expect it from Sam and even though I knew from his emotions there was something bitter in his past driving the attitude I was getting, I wasn't happy that he was taking it out on me.

"It's no good sneering at the vampires when it's that la-de-da Were that's started all this with his hate campaign," I retorted. Rather than apologetic though he just looked angrier.

"Oh yeah, that's right, it's all the Were's fault. And that vamp bitch, the prissy Miss McInerney has nothing to do with it. I would have expected better of you than to take the side of those dead fucks Sookie," he flung at me. I was momentarily stuck for a reply since I didn't know who the hell he was talking about.

That didn't stop me from being furious at his suggestion that I would turn my back on them all, including my own brother.

"You know me better than that Sam Merlotte. My brother is a were, and then there is you, and Calvin, and Alcide is my friend too. And if my information is a little one-sided that _might_ just be why I came to you for help, but I guess that was too much to ask." Sam looked at me for a long moment, then he dropped his rigid posture.

"Sorry Sook, I didn't mean …" he sighed and softened his voice further. "Look, I know you mean well but it's not that simple." Sam and I averted our eyes while we counted to ten, trying to forgive each other and cool down. Thinking of Jason had reminded me just how much was at stake here and arguing with Sam was not going to help anything, I didn't think I could do this without him. I took a deep breath trying to get back to calm. Sam got there first and was trying to catch my gaze and apologise while I was still considering walking out.

"Fine, I'll answer your questions if I can," he finally said, mainly as an apology. I beamed at him and he rolled his eyes. "I guess I can even up your information at least. I doubt Northman's account of things was balanced." I bit my tongue since he wasn't exactly giving the other side the benefit of the doubt either.

Sam ruffled his hair, setting it on end as he often did when he was agitated, and leaned back in his chair so it creaked in an alarming way that suggested it might break at any moment. "OK, so by the sound of it Northman has given you the low down on the Weres while making out that vamps are just innocent victims." I tried not to blush as I realised that while I'd been sceptical about his account from the start – having Eric mostly naked in my bed might have distracted me from just _how_ one sided his version was. I wasn't going to tell Sam that though.

My other boss told me much the same history as Eric had, though with a few variations. I made a mental note of these, they would be where the problems were, the stuff they saw differently. I wasn't much interested in all the whys and wherefores they used as excuses for what was ultimately just speciesism but I needed to know it all in order to find a way around it. I knew from his terminology that Sam was far from neutral. He couldn't seem to keep himself from using slightly harsher adjectives for the vampires than the weres no matter how impartial he tried to be.

We were interrupted by Arlene who brought in the food that Sam had ordered for us. On seeing me she gave me a _condescending_ smile.

"Oh hey Sookie love, how you feeling? Don't you worry about a thing, we've got everything covered, you just take all the time you need, OK?" And she headed out again. I looked at Sam.

"Why, exactly did you say I was off work?" I asked, baffled by Arlene's behaviour.

"I didn't. I just said you wouldn't be in a for while," he shrugged, just as confused as me. Since I knew she was standing just outside the door, all but holding a glass against it, I decided to dip into her head. I didn't know whether to scream in frustration or just laugh at what I 'heard.' In true Chinese Whispers style, rumours of my troubles were passing ear to mouth without involving brain and had become muddled along the way. According to the gossip, Bill had sold me to another vampire for a million dollars (though general consensus was this figure had been exaggerated) and then the new vampire had been killed by a cop, so I was now working in a vampire bar looking for a replacement since I was addicted to vampires now. My anger was less at the rumours (that sort of thing is to be expected in a small town) and more at the fact Arlene had no problem believing them. I walked to the door and threw it open making her jump back with a guilty expression. I stared at her in silence and after an awkward pause she tried a simpering smile and headed off.

Sam shared a head-shake with me before getting back to business. "So, Northman told you about Lord Trentham?" I nodded that he had as I dug into my fried chicken. "On the other side we have the vampire Ms McInerney. Fanny McInerney's got some age on her," Sam mumbled through a mouthful of Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak hoagie. "From what I've heard, she comes from a family of vampires that keep Weres as guard dogs. They believe weres should have no place among the human populace and should be culled to simply a few that can serve their 'vampire masters'. It's not a give and take deal either. The weres are made to stay in animal form pretty much full time while working, they're forced to live in kennels and their young are kept separately for training and to control the adults. They have no clothing, no anything really, they do as they're told or they're killed."

"That's disgusting, she knows America abolished slavery right?"

"She's not American, and it would make no difference to her anyway. Human issues hold no interest to this kind of Vampire. As long as they remain a good food source, anything else people get up to is not important. She believes however Weres, as supernatural creatures, fall under her purview. In her mind, vampires are the superior supes and all others should bow down before them."

Sam gave me some other background on the issues, even admitting some fault on the Weres side too, those like Lord Trentham anyway. It all just sounded mad to me. Eric and Alcide hadn't fallen out, none of the supes in our area had.

"OK so we have a Nutty Lord Were and Psycho Bitch Vamp killing off each other's kind, what's that got to do with anyone else? Both McInerney and Trentham are based in Europe." (They'd toured here, separately of course, but that was it.) "Can't someone just kill off the two wackadoodles and let everyone else live happily ever after?" I suggested.

"They're the figureheads, but there are plenty of like-minded on both sides, or at least those that wouldn't mind the supremacy they're offering. Even those that aren't interested in having their own pet vamp aren't really going to be bothered if someone else wants one," Sam shrugged. This was just too much.

"So the vamps are attacking because they think the Weres will, and the Weres are attacking because they think the vamps will," I snapped.

"Pretty much," Sam shrugged, after a pause he gave me an ironic smirk as if it had only just occurred to him how stupid that was.

"I know you all don't get on with each other, except when you pit yourselves against us lowly humans of course," I slipped in bitterly. Sam lowered the remains of his sandwich as he caught my tone, giving me his full attention. "But now you all are talking about killing each other because you're too lazy to say no. It's just the dumbest thing I've ever heard," I said angrily.

Sam put his food down completely and looked at me, giving me a moment to take a couple of calming breaths.

"It's not as simple as two people that hate and everyone else doesn't care. Things have gotten this bad over here because in several states, followers of the beliefs of either McInerney or Trentham have taken out members of the other side. With those attacks clustered together, the sudden rush of violence has made everyone feel threatened. Many have reacted with plans to launch pre-emptive strikes on their nearest camp of 'enemies.'" I made myself stay calm, throwing my food at Sam would not fix anything. Besides I was hungry and I really liked the spicy coating we used (another Lafayette special). I chewed on a mouthful to calm myself further before responding.

"I want to try and arrange a treaty, a peace treaty between Eric's vamps and the Shreveport pack," I said after wiping my fingers and lips. I announced my plan quite proudly. It certainly surprised him. After taking a moment to recover, Sam opened his mouth and I knew he was going to rain on my parade, most likely he was also planning to try and talk me out of even attempting it but I didn't let him speak. "Please Sam, help me. I have to try, no matter what. Surely it's better if I have as much information as possible." I leaned forward onto his desk and he sat upright in his chair but didn't lean in." Sam's smile that said he trusted me and cared about me and would do anything for me if he could but his words were less encouraging.

"Even if I had accepted my role it only works between groups of weres, the _vampires_ would never accept me as a negotiator."

"Well that's why _I'm_ going to do it, if you can help me figure out how."

"I still can't tell you anything. There is too much at stake here and, unlike Northman, I have no intention of putting you in the middle of it." I knew he was blocking me mentally by the constipated look on his face but I had my shields up, I'd never want to poach from his brain like that.

"I'm already in the middle of it," I said sadly. Sam struggled internally for a long time while I tried out my puppy eyes on him (I wasn't sure they would work on someone who was actually a puppy much of the time). Eventually he huffed.

"Fine. If, and it's a big 'if', you can get them to talk at all, I'll help – mind you, I'm only helping _you_. I'm not getting involved with the rest of it.

"I don't see why they all can't just hold their hands up and say they're not going to attack?" I knew it wasn't that simple but it really should be.

"Neither side is likely to believe the other – can you picture Alcide or Eric accepting such a statement?" A quick litany of all the insults I'd heard on both sides flickered through my head and I shook it to clear them.

"No, I guess not. Idiots!"

There was a long pause while I thought about it all. "I need to speak to Alcide," I said. I had to make sure they were not planning to attack before I'd had chance to … well I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do but they all needed to just sit tight until I did.

"I'm not telling you where he is. Besides, you won't be able to get in to see him so you can forget it."

"What do you mean? Have you heard something?" Was Alcide not speaking to me? I thought things were OK between us, or they would be later on at least. "But he provided all that help rebuilding my house even though I wasn't able to save his Dad," I said desperately. The thought that Alcide wouldn't talk to me was upsetting. Things hadn't been smooth between us but I still counted him as a friend. I was also counting on that friendship to help me keep him alive. I had no doubt that Eric would carry out his threat to wipe out all the Weres if he thought it necessary. I was about to drive to Shreveport and punch some sense into Alcide when Sam called my attention back to him.

"Sookie," Sam said soothingly. "Alcide does not blame you for what happened at the packmaster contest. As far as I know he still thinks very highly of you."

"Then why won't he see me?" Was it just because I was working for Eric? He should know me well enough to know I wouldn't side against him even so.

"I didn't say he wouldn't see you, I said you won't be able to get in to see him." I'd put my half full coffee cup on the desk in preparation of leaving and he looked at it pointedly until I picked it back up and setted in the chair to prove I was staying. "He's had too many dealings with Northman, it puts him in the thick of it all. They are worried the vampires will silence him so he can't tell the rest of the pack what he knows about them. He's staying hidden until the decision is made." Sam looked uncomfortable, like he hadn't meant to tell me all that.

"OK, so only half of that made sense to me. What decision?"

"Sookie, understand, as a shifter I really shouldn't be telling you anything. But I guess since you're connected to both sides you need to know." Sam tried to rub the creases from his face with his hands then looked at me. His face was more serious than I'd ever seen it and he suddenly looked older. "The decision being debated in the Were community right now is whether to declare war or not." War?

"My God! They wouldn't really do that would they?" In my shock I'd forgotten the cup in my hand and I only just prevented myself from tipping coffee in my lap. "I mean, I know vamps and Weres aren't exactly friendly, but a war? Wouldn't people notice something like that? Humans I mean. I thought the weres didn't want to come out." I was desperately thinking of other reasons why the people I cared about should not start a war against each other.

Sam's voice was very understanding and patient as he explained.

"These things are fought through guerilla warfare. It has happened plenty of times before without humans noticing." He finished his sandwich and brushed crumbs from his lap and desk. There had to be some kind of way out. A conscientious objector thing-y our little corner of Louisiana could claim. If Switzerland could remain neutral so could we. Surely 'not fighting' was easier than fighting, you just didn't throw a punch or whatever.

"Where did you say Alcide's holed up?" I asked as I wiped my mouth. "I need to speak to him, if for nothing else to let him know Eric isn't trying to have him killed before he does something stupid and Eric _does_ kill him." Once again I was half out of my seat.

"How do you know?"

"Huh?"

"Eric might be using you to find Alcide so he can kill him." That stopped me short as I considered the possibility and plonked back down again. I rejected the idea almost immediately.

"That wouldn't make sense at all," I said shaking my head. "I'm sure Eric could find Alcide if he really wanted too, he doesn't need me for that. So why bother telling me about it at all? Eric isn't exactly the sort to hold back once he's decided to act."

"Some of the vamps in power don't want a war. They are worried about the effects on the Vampire Rights Movement if too many vampire related deaths are reported," Sam explained patiently. "Eric will have been ordered to prevent public bloodshed if possible. He'll need to at least be appearing to try. That doesn't mean he won't take out Alcide if he thinks he's a threat."

I thought about this, there was a lot I didn't know about the power structures involved here. What if I made things worse? But then I couldn't do nothing.

"OK, so I still need to talk to Alcide and find out where he stands," I insisted. Sam resisted my determined expression briefly before telling me what I needed to know.

"He's at The Hair of the Dog, it's a were bar in Shreveport. You won't be able to get in though Sookie, it's protected by magic. Anyone who's not two-natured feels an overwhelming urge to leave whenever they get close." Well I'd faced that before. I could see Sam was struggling with his doubts, part of him regretted telling me as much as he had. He was fidgeting uncomfortably in his chair making it creak and avoiding my eye. I didn't want to push him too far. I would need him if things progressed. It would do no good to scare him off now.

[***]

As soon as I got home I looked up the Hair of the Dog in the phone book. If it wasn't listed I'd planned to ask around but luckily it was. I spent a good long time going through the folder, making my own notes and preparing for what I planned to do. First things first, I had to get the Weres and vampires to agree to talk to each other.

I devised my plan of attack. (Which was actually both simple and very difficult as it involved trying to talk common sense to supes.)

Then I called Eric.

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So not an action packed chapter, but I promise much more going on over the next few. Hope it wasn't too dull for you all, have a great 31st Dec. 'Til next year xx.


	27. Close Encounters of the Blood Kind

Dating in the Dark

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Good 2013 to you all. Special love and thanks to treewitch703 for doing another amazing job, big kisses xx.**

******So, on with the show.**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Close Encounters of the Blood Kind. **

**Dating Do: Do share parts of yourself. Though in the case of vampire dating this may involve actual body parts.**

_First things first, I had to get the Weres and vampires to agree to talk to each other. _

_I devised my plan of attack. (Which was actually both simple and very difficult as it involved trying to talk common sense to supes.) _

_Then I called Eric._

"I am here."

Eric's phone technique made me smile every time. I could almost see him raising his eyebrow at me for grinning though so I pushed on quickly. I didn't want to upset him. I needed a favour.

After careful thought I'd come up with only one way to get to Alcide. I knew, no matter how much Eric might not like it, working for the vampire meant I'd have to meet the Were on his own turf if I wanted him to listen to me. I'd figured out a way to do that which would also provide me some protection and hopefully wouldn't get anyone killed. If there was one vampire the Weres wouldn't dare attack it was this one.

"Hi Eric, I need to borrow Bubba," I said. Vampires don't do small talk and I couldn't think of a good way to lead up to my request anyway. It felt weird to ask to borrow a person – especially that person – but I knew it was my best bet. There was a pause before he answered.

"Why?" This was going to be the tricky bit.

"I also need you _not_ to ask me any questions until we get back." I wasn't going to tell Eric where Alcide was, just to be on the safe side. I didn't think Eric was trying to kill him but I needed Alcide to trust me and that meant not giving his location to the other team for a start.

"Back from where?" Eric pushed.

"That would be a question," I said reasonably.

"What are you up to?" He didn't sound happy.

"That would be another question." A growl rumbled down the phone. It wasn't one of his playful ones. "Look Eric you're just going to have to trust me." I tried to maintain a business tone, this was my job, I wanted to get it right.

"Wh … I do not see why," he said carefully. OK smarty-pants, I get it, not a question.

"You asked me to work on this Were thing for you, and I am, _my_ way. I will tell you all about it after Bubba and I take a little trip out. How soon can he be ready?" Eric hadn't actually said I could borrow the man from Memphis but I was hoping he wouldn't notice that.

"I have not agreed to provide Bubba." Silly me, he noticed everything. He hadn't said no though, which meant he just needed persuading. Eric was always so good at coming up with a list of reasons for others to do what he wanted. The trick was to find a reason _they_ cared about, rather than focusing on the ones you cared about. I had to think of a reason Eric would be unable to say no to.

"Well, it might be dangerous for me to go by myself," I tried. He was always talking about looking after people he was responsible for.

"Sookie." The warning growl was back in his voice. Oops. Perhaps that wasn't the best approach after all.

"I don't think it will be," I added quickly. "As long as we don't seem threatening, which is why I need Bubba, everybody knows him and he can keep me safe if anything should go wrong," I tried to reason. I hadn't been able to come up with any other way through the wards into the bar. Also I was thinking that arriving with Bubba was a good way of being honest about my affiliations without upsetting the Weres to the point that they wouldn't listen. A little 'show and tell' on the 'Vamps aren't all bad' front. I had my fingers crossed and my breath held as I waited for the verdict. Eric was silent for a long time.

"I have a condition," he finally said. There was a tightening to his voice like he was anxious, or tense at least.

"What?" I knew my relief was sounding in my voice, I'd completely convinced myself he was going to say no.

"I will tell you when you get here," he said triumphantly and hung up.

[***]

I arrived at Fangtasia later that evening. Pam let me in the staff entrance without a word. I could tell from her smile and the way she put her arm around me as we walked that she was pleased about something. When we got to the office she leaned over and kissed my neck, right over my artery, then stepped away from me. She still didn't say a word. It wasn't like her to be so quiet but the eye communication between her (sulky) and Eric (stern) suggested it wasn't entirely voluntary.

Eric appraised me carefully as if my outfit would tell him what I would not. I had opted for smart jeans, a nice blouse and my totally wonderful new Customisable Chucks, for that 'I have made an effort' look – and also that 'I'm ready to hotfoot it the hell outta here if everyone starts growing tails and claws' look.

Bubba lounged on the sofa in Tony Lama cowboy boots, a western shirt, and jeans held up by an Indian-head belt-buckle. I guess someone had gotten him a replacement as I'd read that he'd given his original one away at a concert back when he was alive. There was a Stetson on the cushion next to him, he looked like he was about to go court the widow.

"Hey Miss Sookie," he smiled enthusiastically at me and I smiled back.

"Hey Bubba, good to see you. How've you been?"

"Real good Miss Sookie. Mr Eric was real mad at me that I got that message wrong but he said it all turned out OK, so I can keep my tongue." He seemed to think Eric was somehow doing him a favour in this. I gave the sheriff a reproachful look. He shrugged. It was up to him how he dealt with vampires in his area. Besides, I didn't think he really would have hurt Bubba, even if the Merlotte's regulars hadn't enjoyed a game of stick the stake in the pirate.

"So are you ready?" I asked Bubba, smiling again.

"No," said Eric from his desk. I looked at him with mock-innocent bewilderment, (it had been a long shot but I'd had to try). "I have a condition remember." He was watching me thoughtfully and Pam shifted against the wall where she'd gone to stand after an eye-flicker from her sire.

"What's the condition?" I asked after a long silence – well almost silence, Bubba was singing '_I'll hold you in my heart, 'till I can hold you in my arms._' Though that seemed to be the only line of the song he remembered and he just repeated it over and over while destroying one of Eric's cushions by pulling absently at the threads.

"I want you to take my blood," Eric finally said. I was struck dumb. I could feel my mouth opening and closing but no sound managed to reach my lips because my brain couldn't think up the right words. Fear, panic and an inappropriate excitement were jumping around in my belly like elephants in a bouncy castle. He had managed to keep his voice nonchalant, but he wasn't fooling anyone. We all knew it wasn't a light matter.

When I eventually found my voice, I was impressed by how closely I was able to match his casual tone, considering what was going on inside me.

"Eric, you gave me a phone remember. If I need you, I can just call the regular way. Besides," I dropped my voice (pointlessly seeing as everyone else in the room was a vampire and already knew what I wanted to mention anyway). "Can't you still feel me from … before." I blushed. I didn't want to go into the details of the last time Eric had given me blood. It was the intimate connotations that worried me as much as anything.

"It fades," he said shortly. "And a phone can be switched off." He wasn't telling me everything. I _knew_ he could still feel me just fine, even if it had faded some, because several times he'd told me how I was feeling.

I glanced at Bubba but he was still just reciting his repetitive little ditty and picking at threads. I glanced at Pam. She was so still it was like she was in down-time but there was too much life to her eyes for that to be the case. I looked back at Eric who was watching me with a blank expression, waiting patiently.

"I really don't think that it is necessary Eric," I couldn't see a strong argument for not taking his blood, I'd already had it before after all. But I also didn't see that he'd made a strong argument for me taking it: I wasn't hurt and nothing I was about to do required extra strength – unless I got attacked by werewolves in which case Eric's blood wouldn't help much anyway. Besides, drinking blood was just … yucky, or it was supposed to be, I told myself sternly, ignoring the memories of the previous occasions I'd had vampire blood.

Suddenly he was before me, our bodies not even an inch apart as he gazed intently down into my eyes. "It is necessary Sookie, because if you refuse, you are not going." The statement was matter-of-fact, end of story! I stepped back from him but he stepped with me, maintaining the proximity. He continued to follow as I continued to move back until my butt and shoulders bumped into the wall. I realised, too late, I'd made a mistake and was now trapped there. "Sookie, I am responsible for you, doubly so in this case, and I have told you before, I take my responsibilities _very_ seriously." Eric's eyes and voice were full force persuasion and the impact was breath-taking – literally. My lungs were stuck in freeze-frame along with the rest of me from the onslaught. Then a small smile played at the corners of his eyes as he continued. "You are not going to the Hair of the Dog unless you take my blood, it is that simple."

"How did you …?" The ability to breathe returned as I was distracted by his knowledge. I was certain I hadn't let anything slip. The triumph in his face told me his words had had the desired effect. When I continued to search his face for an answer he explained.

"The Shifter called to complain about my involving you, so I knew he had probably told you about the bar. Plus you asked for Bubba, presumably because you knew he could help you through the wards, as Pam has told me he did during the witch war." I was becoming less and less sure that Eric couldn't read my mind no matter how logically he could explain what he knew. "You didn't really think I would not know where Alcide was did you?" He was looking very pleased with himself.

"I'm happy to help with the stay-away magic Miss Sookie, I can carry you right on in there if I need to." Bubba reassured me from somewhere beyond the wall-of-Eric that was currently blocking my view.

I sucked on my lip thinking. I was well aware Eric could keep me from going if he chose to. I wouldn't put it past him to lock me up somewhere during the day just to make sure. No one would even miss me for a week seeing as he'd arranged for me to be off work from Merlotte's.

We were talking about a potential war here. A war that could affect a lot of people I cared about, including my brother. I knew the primary aggravation was between the Weres and the vamps but both Eric and Sam had said that the other weres would be forced to pick sides when the fighting started. Calvin had promised me I'd see Jason again but what if Jason got killed in a fight before Calvin could make that happen? He wasn't even as strong as the other weres let alone a vampire.

Eric must have felt me start to give in because he mumbled 'leave' and suddenly we were alone in his office. I could only tell this by the lack of the two additional voids. Eric still hadn't moved so I remained pinned against the wall unable to see much beyond his chest – I refused to look up into his eyes.

His finger brushed the skin under my chin as he urged me to look at him. I was sure there was a lot of fear on my face as I did. Not that I was scared of Eric, it was more that I was scared of Eric – that is; I was not scared he would hurt me, I was scared he would hurt me. I mean … mmmmmm.

The kiss was soft, there was no tongue, no urging, just his lips against mine. It didn't deepen or build but it lasted. I found I wanted to grab him, I wanted to push him against something. But I didn't. The only thing I did was tangle my fingers tightly in his shirt.

Eric gently massaged my palms to loosen my grip and then took both of my hands in his. He guided me to the couch, sat, turned me, and pulled me down to sit on his knees, my back to his chest. I tried to shift to sit beside him but he pulled my hips firmly back so my butt was deep in his lap, my legs either side of his. The cool of his torso soothing the length of my spine.

I knew I should be thinking of reasons not to do this, that I should have fought harder against it. If I was completely honest, the reason I hadn't was a small part of me wanted to drink Eric's blood again; to feel that power and strength, to feel connected to him. That was the reason I should have fought harder. It was not a good idea to give in to that part of me.

His lips were by my ear tickling against my skin. "Relax Sookie," he whispered. "This is right," he added so quietly it felt like I heard him in my mind only. The devil-Sookie on one shoulder gloated over the angel-Sookie on the other as I abandoned all resistance and did what I was told. I relaxed back into his embrace.

He tucked his chin over my left shoulder then brought his right arm across me to meet his mouth. His cheek was next to mine as the wet crunch of his bite echoed through my head. A clash of conflicting emotions hit me. I shuddered with horror and ardent desire at the sound. My lips latched instantly onto the wound, I didn't want it to drip down my shirt.

A deep baritone rumbled from Eric's chest as I sucked his blood into my mouth. His grip on me tightened. Slowly, he raised the arm I was attached to until my neck was stretched back and my head rested on his shoulder, then he pulled his wrist slightly down to his right, drawing my mouth with it. With my head tipped back and facing away from him, his lips had full access to the juncture of my throat and collar bone. He licked and nibbled lightly until I didn't know if the icy-hot shivers racing through my body were coming from the application of Eric on the inside or the out.

As more of his blood ran into me I could feel his desires, not only underneath me, but stretching into me through my own veins. I didn't know how vampire blood was absorbed so quickly, but I could feel it there right away. Or maybe I was feeling the blood already there responding to the arrival of more. That's what it felt like, that his blood cells that were already inside me recognised the arrival of more of their kind and were throwing a welcome party.

Eric's strength and energy were hitching a ride on the blood too but that wasn't all I could feel of him. His emotions seemed to be tickling against the edge of mine, just as his lips tickled against my throat. They weren't overwhelming but they were there. Curious I focused on them and they became a little clearer. There was excitement, desire, and a tightly bound apprehension that was being very forcibly restrained. In fact there seemed to be a whole host of things being restrained inside Eric, I couldn't quite grasp what they all were, they were outside of my frame of reference but a lot of him was dedicated to the job of controlling them.

As I explored further, all of that was dwarfed by a deep yearning for … something … his fangs sank into my neck and he was feeding off me as I was feeding off him. My body responded thoughtlessly. I sucked harder and my hand grabbed Eric's head holding it tight against my neck. Another deep moan vibrated into my skin. Arching my back, I pushed my butt down into his lap and my neck up against his mouth.

My detached, curious, mind was still wandering along the partially hidden trail of Eric's emotions. Was it hunger, this feeling? It was _a_ hunger certainly. Maybe this was what it felt like for vampires when they needed blood. He was definitely happier since he'd bitten me though not nearly sated. Lots of his 'busy' emotions were pushed to the side as contentment took centre stage. It was like a big fluffy cat was purring and rubbing itself around my legs happily. I stroked it, sharing the contentment.

Whoa! Was I saying that I knew what Eric was feeling? That I could feel him and respond? How was that possible? Was this what it was like for vampires when they could feel humans? Why would they want that? It was … confusing and … scary and … way too intimate. I pulled back from where I had gone, running back along the winding path I'd followed, but the knowledge was keeping up with me, refusing to be left behind.

Back in the physical world, Eric was definitely enjoying himself. His contented hum rumbled through his frame and his free hand had worked its way beneath my shirt to stroke the skin of my belly. Under me, his pelvis lifted over and over in a slow steady rhythm. My own body was responding in kind: fingers stroking his hair, gentle undulations of my hips to match his rhythm, excitement building in my stomach. If I'd been wearing a skirt instead of jeans I suspected it wouldn't just be his fangs penetrating me. We surged like the sea, a wave building as it headed to shore. On top of everything, I could feel it, feel how much we wanted this, my blood and his blood and sharing and joining. Our pleasure reached a peak, the wave cresting in a beautiful giant arch. We sucked harder as our fingers tensed, gripping hair and soft flesh. Then all was turbulent kinetic energy bubbling through us as the wave broke and we plunged, becoming swirling foam.

After a final deep groan and a feeling of complete physical surrender that ran through us both, we stilled. A moment later he reluctantly withdrew his fangs. He was licking my neck as the wound in his arm closed enough to slow the flow. I realised I'd continued to drink his blood throughout. And it wasn't enough, I wanted more, or my body did. As the holes in his wrist healed completely I spun on his lap, planting my lips on his, wrapping my arms around his neck and pushing myself against him even though I was awkwardly twisted. There was an immediate response, his tongue met mine and our blood mingled in our mouths so I could taste my own as well as the lingering taste of his.

I was underneath him, laying on the couch trying to yank his shirt out of the way with one hand while fisting the other in his hair. After several minutes of frantic kissing, he pulled away despite my efforts to hold him. Slowly, grudgingly, he pulled away.

"Shhh, Sookie, it is just the blood, that is all."

"I don't care," I said reaching for his lips again. His blood must have made me stronger than normal because I was able to pull him back to me despite his resistance. Probably this was only because he was also resisting his resistance. It was odd because his body was just as enthusiastic to kiss me as I was to kiss him, judging by what I was experiencing. Even by Eric standards it was dizzy-making and his standards are much higher than most. But I could feel his will trying to exert control too, trying to stop him. The fact that it wasn't working was making him angry, and more passionate, making the kiss better, making it harder for him to stop.

Soon I couldn't tell if my head was spinning because we'd been kissing so long that I needed to breathe, or because his emotions were such a whirl. He pulled back again, this time keeping me pinned to the couch as he lifted his head from mine. I could hear his cell phone going but we both ignored it. Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought it was the second time it had rung.

Eric was looking at me and I was looking right back. I vividly remembered laying beneath him before, watching those eyes engulf me as they seemed to do again. I remembered the soft peppering of kisses he would place all over me as I lay there completely vulnerable to him in every way. I remembered our bodies moving together, the sensations running over my skin, the way he touched me, the things he made me feel. I remembered his hands running over me, mine over him. I remembered us grasping at each other my breath getting short but still pushing on, I remembered those eyes staring into mine as he filled me again and again.

Those eyes were what I remembered most of all. Those eyes looking at me like _I_ was the amazing one, those eyes looking at me the way they were now full of wonder and trust. Eric's emotions were still peaking and I was struggling with what I was feeling, or he was feeling, or we were feeling, damn this was weird. He had told me before that he didn't like having feelings, I could understand why, they were so intense, but aside from that I was struggling to understand how _this _Eric could be looking at me that way. _I_ might remember but he didn't, he had no idea that he'd looked at me like that before.

"It's the blood Sookie," he said again. He was sad about this, or about something at any rate. His emotions continued to swirl around me, separate from, but somehow stronger than, mine. I tried to shield from them but they were all twisted up with everything and became part of the shields as well as being both sides of them.

"Can you stop that," I snapped breathlessly. It felt like my eyes were glowing with his emotions.

"Stop what?"

"Feeling!" Eric looked stunned for a moment then laughed, loudly.

I could feel his genuine amusement, it fluttered and tickled inside me making me want to laugh too. Under the humour there was pleasure and satisfaction but also doubt and misgiving hiding in the corners. As he continued to laugh even more at my expression, the link, or whatever it was, started to fade and after a minute even when I reached for it, it was elusive. I sighed with relief.

"OK that was freaky what the hell was that it's not going to happen again is it?" I tumbled out in one breath. Eric looked at me for a long moment before answering. I could almost feel him poking at my emotions, judging my every response.

"We shared blood," was all he said.

"What does that mean?" The outer rim of his irises were a distinctively darker shade than the main.

"That we drank from each other at the same time." He was avoiding telling me something, I didn't need to still feel his emotions to see that.

"Eric, stop being evasive and just tell me what you did." My voice was low and dangerous, it didn't entirely sound like me.

"What _we _did Sookie, that is my point." He was being very calm, too calm. There was a natural slight pout to his bottom lip, I wanted to suck it into my mouth. I closed my eyes. It's just the blood, I reminded myself. It wasn't the only effect of the blood, if I wasn't pinned under Eric I'd probably have been running the wall of death round his office – or trying to, it's hard to know exactly what you can do and what you just feel you can do after a big dose of thousand year old hemoglobin.

"Fine, what did _we _do?" My tone made it clear that I wasn't including myself in that 'we', that was a 'we' of one. I might have been a participant but I was an uninformed one. Is it still driving the getaway car if you don't know they've robbed the bank? Eric just laughed again. I loved his laugh, I wanted to put my head against his chest and listen to it that way. I fought that impulse too. Though my fingers were stroking the soft skin and firm muscle of his arms all by themselves and even when I noticed this I couldn't seem to stop.

"I do not trust the Weres, you are my … representative, they may wish to hurt you to get to me. If, despite my instructions otherwise, you insist on going into a warded area of their territory, I want a connection that will allow me to get to you, even through the wards, if it is necessary." Through the wards? How did that work?

"So it's different from when I had your blood before?" It sure felt different.

"We …" His phone rang again just then and he tried to look irritated by the interruption but I suspected he wasn't.

He flipped it open and listened for a moment, eyeing me after the first few seconds with a mix of interest and amusement. He was still half on top of me on the couch, though he'd lifted slightly, holding himself up with one hand while the other held the phone to his ear. I shoved at him to get off, having finally regained control of my own arms, but he gave no signs of moving.

"Really? How curious. And now?" He asked whoever was on the phone. His face had that wide-eyed guileless expression he sometimes wore when he was up to something and didn't care who knew. He was still watching me. "Yes, I can," he followed with after a moment, his eyes dancing. "Yes she is." Another pause. "I am certain she is quite fine." Whoever he was talking to was getting agitated because I started to hear hints of a raised voice coming through the phone from where I was. "Bill relax, she is absolutely fine. Not only can I sense that, I can see it too, she is right here." My eyes widened and I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand.

Bill! Damn! I'd forgotten to call him and cancel the telepathy training. Then I removed my hand so I could look more carefully at Eric. Why would Bill think I wasn't all right? Eric snapped the phone shut without another word. From what I could hear, Bill had still been yelling down the line when he did. The Viking seemed lost in thought for a long moment. He leaned his face close to mine, it would be so easy to just carry on with the kissing and I had to tear my gaze from his enticing lips. Then he smiled at me, waiting for me to speak first, knowing I would. I didn't ask about Bill though.

"You gonna let me up?" I asked instead, as casually as I could. He looked mildly surprised as if it hadn't occurred to him until then that he was laying on top of me. Then he flashed a grin.

"That depends. Are you going to attack me again?"

"Of course not. That wasn't even me, it was the blood, you said so yourself." I was keeping my hands tightly fisted to stop from stroking him some more.

"In that case no, I don't think I will let you up." He shifted himself against me, making my body want to respond and his eyes light up with mischief. I wished I had more leverage to thump his chest properly, but I waled on him as best I could.

"Just get up you great lump before you squash me." Eric laughed but lifted himself away, allowing me to sit up.

I scrabbled to get upright and perched at the edge of the couch, as far from Eric as I could get, clamping my hands between my knees to keep them from wandering. As soon as the physical contact was broken the atmosphere became completely different. I felt awkward and shy and oddly guilty. There were lots of questions I should ask. What had just happened? What was wrong with Bill? Why had I been feeling Eric's emotions? And what did 'sharing' blood mean? I had the sneaking suspicion that what we'd just done had some deeper significance than just 'drinking from each other at the same time'.

Part of me felt an overwhelming urge to get away from Eric while the other part was wishing I was still pinned under him. I didn't understand it. I felt like I was on hold, waiting to feel whatever I was going to feel about it all, waiting for some negative reaction or consequence. That I didn't yet feel wrong about it, felt wrong. I didn't know what to make of that. So I didn't ask any of my questions but just sat there, shaking with my uncertainty and Eric's energy. He let me have my space and didn't try to touch me again though it seemed like he wanted to.

"You are acting as my representative. It is my duty to protect you to the best of my ability, this was the most practical choice," he said quietly as my anxiety continued to grow. I looked at him searching his face for answers to questions I didn't know to ask. He was somehow managing to evade the unidentified questions without evading my eye, it was disconcerting and made me want to wrap myself against his chest.

I was a mess. What we'd done _felt_ intensely intimate and that scared me. But him _saying_ that it was just business, scared me far more.

Unsure of what I was feeling, I didn't respond to his statement. Instead I straightened my clothes and my spine. I spoke without looking at him.

"How far is the Hair of the Dog from here? Will it take long to get there?" Just business he'd said.

"Not long." Eric spoke with as much forced nonchalance as me, the way people discuss the weather after they've just walked in on their parents having sex. If we don't talk about it, it didn't happen.

I left with Bubba shortly after. Pam was nowhere to be seen.

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So I hope you all enjoyed that almost as much as they did :) Will try not to keep you all waiting too long for the next one xx


	28. The Usual Weres

Dating in the Dark

**Hi guys, I decided, since it doesn't come out in the story until quite a bit later, and because I have changed it from canon, that I should explain about the blood bonding process in this story. In order to form a blood-bond they both need to drink from each other at the same time, and they need to do it three times. So basically they have now taken the first step. At this point Sookie can pick up on Eric's emotions sometimes, but only with physical contact and if he is being unguarded. **

**Treewitch703 has once again done amazing work, helping with both my writing and my insanity, so big wet sloppy kisses to her. **

**As you all know, m****ost characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

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**Chapter 28: The Usual Weres, **

**Dating Don't: Don't show up smelling of another date, it will not endear you to the person you are meeting.**

Eric's blood was definitely making itself known. In my desire to get away I had rushed out to the car and, since I could move much faster than usual, I was turning the key in the ignition before I knew it. My reaction time was quicker too. A couple of red-necks came weaving through the traffic in a custom Dodge truck, tossing out an empty beer can as they swerved in front of me so abruptly that they were going to clip the front fender. My quick reflexes not only allowed me to evade a nasty accident, but meant I was able to dodged the spinning can aswell. It seemed I'd somehow absorbed some of Eric's personality too, rather than shrugging it off as I usually did, I got straight on the accelerator, zipping round them and cutting close enough to force them from their lane so they got stuck behind a slow moving truck while we went our merry way. Their angry horn chased us down the road as I laughed and powered through amber to lose them at the lights.

I could feel Eric with me. I knew he was still at Fangtasia but he was inside me too. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. It was like wearing a really big safety harness, there is the discomfort of feeling pinned down but also the comfort of security. I tried to focus on the job I needed to do, Bubba however wasn't helping.

"How's your beau, Mr Bill, Miss Sookie?" An anvil of dread dropped in my stomach at the question, at some point I'd have to face Bill. Eric might have said the blood sharing was just for protection but I didn't think 'my beau' would see it that way. (I knew this was how Bill saw himself even if I didn't.) Plus there was my reaction. Was it just the blood like Eric said or was that a cop-out?

"He's fine," I said as calmly as I could while feeling twitchy with the power flooding my body and the emotions running riot in my heart.

"He didn't want to come with you?" Bubba was watching the scenery like everything was an exciting new discovery.

"I didn't ask him." I smiled reassuringly as he turned to look at me with a frown.

"You used to keep company with Mr Bill, now you're always with Mr Eric." I could tell this was confusing Bubba (he wasn't the only one) and this was one vampire you didn't want to get confused, it tended to upset him.

"Well Bill is my friend and my neighbour," I said gently. "Now I work for Eric though, so I spend time with him too." I wondered who I was trying to convince. Bubba gave my explanation a good mulling over before responding.

"I work for Mr Eric, he ain't kissing on me!" He stated as if that settled the whole kissing issue that had worried him from the start. I had to stifle a snigger at the image of Eric kissing Bubba that popped into my head – the blood had me all over the place. Luckily, by that time we had arrived at the parking lot Eric had given me the directions to. I could see the dingy bar huddled between two other buildings. I smiled nervously at Bubba and we both got out of my car.

Because of my heightened senses, I could see and hear, as well as sense, the homeless guy huddled in a doorway on the other side of the lot. I could also hear not only the passing cars but the radios playing inside them. I couldn't hear any sounds from the were bar though. I figured this was part of the magic that protected it. Bubba waited beside me as I took in my surroundings.

The entrance was half hidden, if I hadn't known what I was looking for I'd have missed it, just a door with a small sign. Half the street lights seemed to be out and there were scraps of trash everywhere: old newspapers, cans, bottles and fast-food cartons. The lot was full of pot-holes and I was sure that without my improved sight I'd have turned my ankle as I worked my way across it. My heart was thumping but I was bound and determined, I could do this. I nodded to Bubba and we started towards our goal.

I felt ill almost immediately. It was like the magic knew my purpose. We walked towards the door and I felt my steps begin to slow. All sorts of other places I'd rather be popped into my head. When I paused between steps Bubba grabbed my hand and tugged me forward. My head started shaking 'no'. Even though I wanted to keep going and knew it was just the magic, I couldn't do anything about my body's responses. Bubba ignored my refusal and continued to pull me along. A few yards from the door he actually had to pick me up. He opened the door, walked through, and set me on my feet. There was no magic this side of the door and I took a couple of deep breaths.

Stunned Weres froze in place around the room. I ignored them and smiled at Bubba.

"Thank you."

"No problem Miss Sookie." He gave me a lopsided grin back. I straightened my spine and walked further into the bar.

The jaw of the large leather-clad Were that was closest to the door when we entered, had gone slack. He stared at the vampire not realising his beer was dribbling onto the floor while he gaped. I tightened my grip on Bubba's hand and pulled him further into the bar. Once I'd spotted Alcide I kept my eyes fixed on him and headed straight for his table. The rest of the room was still silent. Alcide looked stunned as much by my presence as by my companion.

"Hey Alcide, I thought you might like to meet Bubba. After all our adventures together in Jackson you never did actually get an introduction did you?" I made my voice bright and perky as if this really was the only reason I'd dropped by. The other Weres were getting over their shock, hostility began building through the room.

"Oh … Er … No … No I didn't … Hello _Bubba_ pleased to meet you." Alcide stood to greet us. Maria Star had been sitting with him but had moved towards the bar as I'd moved towards Alcide so he was the only one at the table now.

"How do you do," replied Bubba with a slight nod. "I saw you when you broke up with your girlfriend," he added casually, then looked around the room with interest. I'd forgotten about that.

"Ummm, yah." Alcide looked uncomfortable. No one had moved except Alcide and Maria Star since Bubba and I had walked in, everyone was just watching. Radiating from nearly every mind was a growing malevolence. A few were mostly curious, but they still had a side order of malice. I reinforced my magnolia with Eric's steel to keep from shaking.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Alcide. His face had gone hard. Now he was over his shock, he didn't look happy to see me.

"I'm working for Eric," I said looking him in the eye. I wanted to be straight with him right up front. There was a slight rustle round the room as several Weres withdrew weapons ranging from switch blades to automatic pistols. I kept my eyes on Alcide.

"So I noticed," he wrinkled his nose at me. Several Weres laughed, it wasn't a friendly sound. I resisted the urge to look around at them keeping my eyes on Alcide. He was sending me a very specific image of exactly what he thought I'd been doing with Eric. Deciding to act like I was unaware that most of the bar patrons wanted to kill me, I tried to maintain the relationship we'd always had.

"Ew!" I slapped Alcide's arm in reproof. "It's not like that." The move surprised nearly everyone in the room. Being physical but non-threatening they were all stuck for how to react – except Alcide who frowned at me, the image of Eric and me still lodged in his thoughts. It was clearly one he'd had on several occasions before.

"If it's not like that why is his scent all over you?" He was very tense. Did he seriously think I'd hurt him? I tried to keep it light.

"Because he's Eric," I said with exasperation to communicate: 'it's not like I could stop him'. Though this was perhaps misleading, it wasn't exactly a lie either. Several Weres nearby tittered with a fraction less hostility. Alcide cracked a flash of a smile involuntarily.

"Alcide, is that –" called the Were by the door. Alcide interrupted him.

"_Bubba_, yeah it is." The Were held Alcide's eye for a moment then nodded, he'd got the message. Hopefully so had everyone else.

"What's that?" Asked Bubba looking round uncomfortably. I gripped his hand in both of mine, hoping to keep him calm. Luckily Alcide remembered enough about Bubba to deal with it.

"I told him about how you helped us out in Jackson, and again with the witches," he explained smiling in gratitude at the addled vampire.

"Well, Mr Eric tells me to watch Miss Sookie, I watch Miss Sookie. Though I'm still not sure about him kissing on her like that," Bubba said frowning at me. His mind was clearly still on the conversation we'd had in the car. I blushed.

"No, you're not alone there Bubba," said Alcide wryly. Bubba relaxed since someone agreed with him, while several Weres laughed again. The hostility stepped down another notch.

Bubba was now back to looking perfectly happy.

"Oooh y'all got a juke box." He disappeared from my side and was by the machine in a flash. So much for my protection. A lot of the Weres still had weapons in their hands though they weren't brandishing them. At least their animosity seemed entirely directed at me, Bubba inspired only uncertainty and awe. Alcide nodded to a small wiry Were behind the bar who had an equal share of fear and excitement on his face as he approached the undead King with a handful of quarters and they started to flick through the selections.

Maria-Star moved to take over behind the bar. She smiled at me but I also knew her hand was resting by a shotgun under the counter. I didn't mind. Her only thought was to protect Alcide. Plus I knew she wouldn't be as jumpy as some of the others. She didn't view me with the same suspicion, she just wanted to be prepared in case she was wrong about me. The first cords of some proper Delta blues sounded across the room and I dropped my guarded stance leaving myself vulnerable to Alcide.

"I am only here to talk to you," I said. There was a long pause while he looked at me. Drifting from the jukebox, Arthur Crudup's was the only voice in the bar: '_We won't be no more lovers, we gon' be old friends_'.

Eventually Alcide indicated the table and we both sat. He stayed silent though, leaving me to get the ball rolling.

"I think you guys and the vampires should negotiate a truce." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at my suggestion but I pressed on. "Whatever the problems, they have nothing to do with us."

"This was Northman's idea?" There were a few hostile growls at the mention of the vampire sheriff but Alcide ignored them so I did too.

"Not exactly." Alcide actually seemed reassured by this, any plan proposed by Eric would have been highly suspicious. I explained about my new job and what Eric had told me about the problems between the Weres and the vampires, acknowledging that this was only one side of things. I could tell he was impressed by my honesty and openness.

"I know Eric asked me to speak to you, but that's not why I'm here. There are too many people I care about gonna be affected by this. All I'm asking is that you at least _try _talking to each other before you start fighting. You guys haven't even fallen out. It sounds to me like no one wants a war, it's gotta be worth a try." Alcide had commanded someone to bring me a gin and tonic and I paused to take a sip. They'd all been watching me since it was put on the table. I knew there was nothing off about it, they wanted to see if I trusted them enough to drink it.

I was struggling a bit with keeping my shields down. It wasn't that it was hard work – it just felt weird after a lifetime of trying to block, especially in crowds. It was a bit like being naked, I was exposing myself when I was used to some cover, so even though this was my 'natural state' it felt uncomfortable. Inner Eric started grinning at the thought of me naked and I used my irritation at him to bury the vulnerable feeling.

"We know that vamp wants Alcide dead," interrupted a female Were I didn't recognise. I turned to look at her. She was baring her teeth at me and looking forward to sinking them into my flesh when the talking was done.

"Eric isn't trying to kill Alcide. Let's face it, he would hardly have sent me if he was." I turned back to my friend. "Alcide, you know me. I'm not picking sides. But I'm not gonna just sit back while you all try to kill each other." I put my hand on his so he knew I was worried about him. Alcide was thinking hard as he looked at our hands. I gave him what privacy I dare by focusing on the other minds in the room.

"You can't trust her, she works for a deader. We should use her to send that fuck a message," yelled the beer-spilling Were from earlier. Several others made indistinct sounds of approval. From one I got an image of the message he'd like to send and it took a lot of effort not to flinch. Bubba lifted his head and looked at the Were that had spoken for a moment but no one had moved so the vampire turned back to the jukebox.

"Actually I only work for Eric part-time. I have a full-time job too. My other boss is a Shifter." I had a momentary flash of sticking that on my bumper, or maybe my ass. I shook my head to clear the image. It did seem to put some doubt into the thoughts of those Weres that were thinking of attacking me.

"It's true. We know she works for Sam Merlotte," came a familiar voice. I turned around to see Tray Dawson sitting by the bar, though I hadn't spotted him earlier. I smiled at him. He nodded back and raised his bottle in hello. I picked up a flash of Sam from him, it seemed Eric wasn't the only one that had gotten a call about what I was up to.

He continued to address the room. "She's as in the middle as anyone, her brother's a were."

"Her brother's a pussy, and a bitten one at that. We've all heard the rumours of what happened out at Hotshot. She might hate weres for what they did." The Were near the door continued to talk for the sceptics. His tone was still aggressive but he did seem to have backed off on his thoughts of attacking me physically. It made sense that they'd have questions, I'd been prepared for that.

"Well then why did she put her own life on the line to find out and stop the woman that was shooting weres just a few months ago?" Dawson continued to speak up for me and I heard several of the group make sounds of agreement. I figured it was good to let them discuss it among themselves as much as possible and only chime in when I needed to. They were not inclined to trust my word even when they knew what I was saying was true.

"Yeah but even if _she_ means right by us, don't mean that dead boyfriend of hers does." This time it was the woman who spoke up again, she really didn't seem to like vampires, or maybe it was Eric specifically.

"Eric Northman is not my boyfriend," I said adamantly. Alcide was very interested in this statement, I could see him trying to judge the truth of it. "And as for who to trust," I went on, not wanting the issue to be about my personal life. "It was because of Bubba that a _Were_ didn't kill me _and _Alcide in Jackson. Hell, even Russell defended us when a gang of _Weres_ tried to attack." Several faces in the room looked confused.

"The vampire King, Russell Edgington," Alcide explained to them. "Who was torturing another dead boyfriend of yours at the time," he added snidely. I narrowed my eyes at his dig about my dating preferences but jumped on his point.

"OK so we have Were on Were, with the Jackson pack attacking Alcide. And vamp on vamp, with Russell attacking Bill. In neither of those cases can I see Weres going to war against vamps improving anything. You all fight among yourselves as much as you do with other supes." All the Weres in the room started avoiding everyone else's eye. Bubba sang along to 'Suspicious Minds' on the Jukebox. As well as the two female and one male that were busy drooling over Bubba's voice, I could hear a lot of suspicious minds in the room. Not clearly, because they were Weres, but clearer than usual, perhaps due to Eric's blood. I was getting enough to know their instinct was simply to stick with their own kind regardless of the argument. It gave me an idea.

"Y'all know I'm a telepath." Quite a few looked at me with interest, they did know but they hadn't heard me talk about it. A couple however looked uncomfortable and one went as far as to start reciting the times table in his head – which was odd because I hadn't been able to get more than a vague impression of mistrust from him before that. I gave no sign that I'd noticed anything and carried on.

"Apart from one other one I met in Dallas I'm pretty much alone in that. If I only stuck with my own kind I'd be very lonely. But I've helped the vampires when they asked and they've helped me. I helped Alcide when he asked too and I'm a Friend of the Pack. Calvin Norris helped my brother when he shifted the first time, and I helped find the bitten that shot him." They were all listening now. They already knew all these stories, knew I was telling the truth.

I carried on pressing my advantage. "I say you stand by the people who've stood by you. Whatever Sir Wolfy Bites-a-lot and Fangy McVampire have stuck up their butts isn't how it works 'round here." Several Weres tittered at the names I'd used. "You _all_ worked together against the vamped up were-witches. Vampires and Were's and witches and that fairy Claudine."

"Mmmmm Claudine," interrupted a young were I recognised from the night at Merlotte's. Alcide gave him a look and he stopped humming his appreciation.

"And thanks to that cooperation," I continued, "a lot more of you survived than would have otherwise. Isn't it worth at least _considering_ that you could be allies on a more permanent basis?" The room went deadly quiet. Even the jukebox seemed to have paused in thought between songs as Alcide looked around at the gathered Weres.

"I'm not promising anything, but I suppose we could hear what they are offering at least," Alcide finally said. He looked 'round the room again, this time with more purpose. Quite a lot of those listening nodded. I was suddenly aware of the way they all appeared to look to him like a leader. I wondered what was happening in the pack under Patrick but kept my curiosity to myself.

"Come on Bubba, let's get back." I didn't want to push it. They'd agreed to listen, better to leave before they could change their minds. "It's late and I've got work early tomorrow," I called across the room, having momentarily forgotten that Eric had cancelled all my shifts at Merlotte's. I ignored that the Eric hating bitch had moved to perch on the front of her chair and was preparing to launch herself straight at me. Several others still had their weapons out but no one else had moved.

"So what happens now?" I asked Alcide as we both stood.

"Now we need to convince Patrick to agree with us. When we've spoken to him I'll call you." There was absolutely no aggression from him any more but I knew he was having doubts about letting me return to Eric.

"OK, well I have a cell-phone now, hang on I'll write down the number." I grabbed a pen and scrap of paper from my purse. Bubba was waiting beside me when I straightened and held out the paper to Alcide. Taking the offered number, the Were hesitated then pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back.

"You stink," he mumbled affectionately and ruffled my hair with a big hand while keeping me pinned to him with the other.

"What girl doesn't _love_ to hear that," I murmured into his chest. He just smelled of man to me, though I knew when he'd just shifted I would be able to recognise that doggy smell too.

I didn't flinch at the snarl from the anti-Eric bitch as Alcide and I separated, and neither Bubba nor I reacted when she tried to jump me as I started to leave. Two other Weres held her firm. I pretended not to notice and that my heart wasn't in my throat. I turned when I was near the door and addressed the room with an inclusive sweep of my eyes. "You know, when Eric was under the spell he asked me _why_ weres and vampires hate each other so much. I didn't know the answer. As far as I can tell," I tapped my head, "no one else does either." I turned and left Alcide gaping. Tray winked at me as I headed out the door but no one said a word.

[***]

The second the door shut on the bar I took a sharp breath. It didn't seem to work so I took another, and another. The panic at what I'd just done was breaking loose from where I'd buried it. My eyes barely focused on the darkened lot as I realised I'd just stood in the middle of the wolves' den and challenged them. With all the weapons and aggression in the room it had been a tense situation. Even though only the bitch had made a move, I'd also heard the thoughts many others were having of attacking me and what they would do when they did. The slightest thing could have set them off at any moment, and as much as they looked up to Alcide, I didn't think his authority would have been enough to stop them had the powder-keg gotten so much as one little spark. I might have hidden my fear from _them_ but I still been feeling it, keeping it buried deep inside had only made it more exhausting than if I'd been able to let it out. Now it was coming front and centre.

My breath continued to come in short gasps, _oh my God, oh my God, it is a wonder I hadn't been ripped to shreds_. I was failing to get enough oxygen to my brain and there was a pain in my chest where it felt like my heart had stopped completely. Somehow I kept putting one foot in front of the other, pushed along by the magic as much as pulled by my own will. I was in shock from what I'd had the nerve to do. I knew Bubba could be lethal but he _seemed_ so sweet it felt like I'd just taken on a gang of Hell's Angels with a puppy. By the time I got to my car, my hands were shaking so badly I dropped my keys.

"You want me to drive Miss Sookie?" asked Bubba. I stood just staring at the ground, lost for what to do next. On the one hand I was pretty shaky, but on the other hand I wasn't sure Bubba remembered how to drive. Before I could answer, Eric fell from the sky and picked up the keys from where they still lay.

"I'll drive," he said smoothly. "Bubba why don't you take yourself back."

"Okey dokey Mr Eric. See ya later Miss Sookie." He headed off after a quick wave.

"Oh, OK, yeah, bye Bubba." I was having trouble catching up.

Eric started to guide me round to the passenger door, steering me by the hips. As soon as his hands were on me there was a physical reaction. My breathing started to calm, and the panicked buzzing in my brain started to fade. Unfortunately that wasn't the only physical reaction, my heart seemed to be making up for those missed beats by going ten to the dozen and warmth crawled over my flesh. If Eric noticed all this, which I'm sure he did, he didn't comment.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Checking on you of course." His lips must have been close to my head because I could feel the air move as he spoke. "Plus I wanted to talk to you before you spoke with Bill and he is at the bar."

As we reached the passenger door, I paused and grabbed Eric's hands from my hips. Pulling them around me, wrapping myself in them, I leaned back into him. He let me, even pressing his face into my hair for a moment. I wasn't sure what made me do it, only that in that moment I'd needed to. I took a few deep breaths and felt Eric breathing with me. I had made him promise me not to use our connection to enter the warded area unless it was an emergency but a part of me had wanted him there every second. I wasn't sure if this was because of the blood or if I was just more sensitive to it because of the blood. Once the almost paralysing fear had completely left me I loosened my grip on his arms and we started to pull apart.

We continued as if the moment hadn't happened.

"OK, but can we talk on the way? Even from here the wards make me feel a little wonky," I said and watched him nod to our reflection in the darkened glass of the car door. I got in the passenger seat while Eric shot back round to the driver's side.

After trying once to get behind the wheel, he pulled back and leaned in to shift the seat first so he could fit.

"Why do you sit so close?" He grumbled.

"Because I don't have stilts for legs," I said distractedly, automatically teasing him even though I wasn't focused on the conversation.

"Midget!"

"Ostrich!" Eric gave me a quizzical look, "you know, long legs," Eric was waiting for the rest. "And a comparatively small head," I added trying hard not to smirk. He tried to look threatening but it just made me laugh. He laughed too and I closed my eyes, resting my head back against the seat.

My heart rate had slowed again and I was feeling the post-adrenalin-rush let down. I loved the way we could always laugh together no matter what else was happening. Eric started my car and gave a little noise of satisfaction as it roared into life. He was very pleased with the Porsche. He poked and prodded at various dials and buttons as he pulled out of the lot without seeming to even glance at the road.

"So how did it go?" He asked once we got on the main strip.

"Everyone was very impressed by Bubba." After a peek, I kept my head back and my eyes closed. It was unnerving to watch when Eric drove. Even though he was keeping to the speed limit for once, he never seemed to look where he was going. Also I was struggling with what I was feeling. Being this close to him offered a sense of refuge, like the tree house I had often escaped to as a child, the one place where I could completely relax, my sanctuary.

"Naturally. Did he sing?" Eric was behaving exactly the same as normal. If he felt any of the things I was feeling, or was even aware I was feeling them, he gave no sign.

"A little, along with the jukebox." I tried to mirror his normality but somehow didn't feel I was convincing.

"You should have charged," he said. I chuckled and sat up a little more. You're supposed to be working Sookie, I reminded myself.

"I've convinced Alcide, and he's going to try to convince Patrick Furnan that you all should talk about a possible treaty. I gave him my cell number and he'll phone when he has word," I reported. Eric was silent for a moment as he digested this. I hadn't discussed the treaty idea with him, but I suspected he'd known all along why I'd gone to the Hair of the Dog.

"Did Alcide indicate whether he thought Patrick was persuadable?" He finally asked non-committally.

"Well I had pretty much everyone in the bar prepared to at least listen to options by the time I left, so it's not just Alcide. I don't know if Patrick would pay any attention to him on his own, but with all those other Weres agreeing too, the packmaster should at least listen to them, right?"

There was another long pause. I let Eric think. I knew I was throwing this at him without even asking if he was prepared to consider a treaty. I realised during his silence that having gone in as his representative I'd practically committed him to the talks without even speaking to him about it. It was unlikely that Eric was going to be pleased at having the decision taken out of his hands. I'd been so pleased with my idea I hadn't thought about it from that perspective before. I found myself bracing for his words. What he said when he finally spoke wasn't the reprimand I was expecting.

"You are impressive." What's more, Eric did sound genuinely impressed. I mentally gave myself a little pat on the back.

"They didn't give you a hard time?" There was concern in Eric's voice and I wondered what he'd felt from me while I was in the were bar.

"Not really." I flicked my eyes in his direction then spoke as casually as I could. "They did mention several times that I smell bad, but other than that it was fine." I moved my eyes to look out the window in an unconcerned manner. Suddenly I was half in Eric's lap as he sniffed loudly at my head.

"Eric, put your hands back on the steering wheel!" The car hadn't so much as veered a millimetre but I'd still prefer he focused on the road while driving.

"Apart from the stink of dog, which will wash off, you smell just fine to me," he said releasing me.

"Well seeing as I apparently smell of you and Alcide, that means you were basically just sniffing him and yourself. Surely even for a supe that's weird." Eric looked stuck for a response for a moment and I laughed at him. He joined in as I straightened my clothes for the second time that night.

Our laughter faded into silence and we both watched the road for a bit.

"Bill is at Fangtasia?" I finally asked. We would be there soon. Anxiety poked at my insides when I thought of my neighbour.

"Yes. He arrived shortly after you left. I forbade him from coming after you. He is not happy." A fleeting glance in his direction told me Eric was not as pleased with this idea as he would usually be, which worried me even more. Eric loved upsetting Bill, it always gave him a happy.

"Sorry if he was upset," I said after another silence. Eric turned right to follow the route that would take us 'round the park. It wasn't the quickest way back but it was more scenic. "It's my fault," I added. Eric gave the road a questioning look. "We had plans and I forgot to cancel them. I should have realised he'd be worried," I explained. I clung to the nonsensical hope that this was what had upset Bill. Frowning, Eric crushed that hope immediately.

"That is not the problem." His voice had taken on the tone he got in response to what he called 'human talk'. (That is: conversation that humans feel the need to cover but supes consider pointless like small talk, courtesies, and information already known by all parties.)

"It's not?" I looked at him and tried to sound innocent. Eric gave me a 'you know it's not' look and I set my eyes back on the road. The silence stretched around the rest of the park.

The anxiety continued to jab at me, making my stomach churn and Eric continued to look unhappy.

"He will be able to smell my scent on you like the Weres," he announced, doing a bit of 'human talk' himself. I was well aware of the fact but there was nothing either of us could do about it now.

"I know. Maybe I should have hugged Alcide more," I thought aloud. We were both watching the road rigidly.

"Then you'd just smell of me _and_ dog." He gave a disgusted look that said marring his scent with that of a Were was a capital offence. "My scent is in your blood right now, it is blended with yours." Eric was suddenly keeping all inflection from his voice.

I tried to think of what I wanted to say, what I should say, how I was feeling, but it was like there was a war going on inside me, with so many different battlegrounds that I couldn't distinguish one thing from another.

I felt my usual desire to escape, to be off by myself while I sorted it all through. This came from a lifetime of needing to separate myself from people. I'd always had to get away from their thoughts in order to be able to focus on mine. Even though it wasn't necessary with vampires my reaction at times of stress was automatic. I also felt a strong need to be near Eric. This was in part the blood of course, but I thought also because I'd come to associate him with safety, especially since he'd rescued me from jail. This feeling was confusing in itself since he was the most dangerous creature I knew.

I felt like what we'd done was right, but I also felt antsy and wrong about it. Both of these feelings were because of the easy intimacy that would pop up between us. I still had no idea what Eric wanted. Mostly he acted like it was just a working relationship that we had, albeit a playful one, but sometimes, like when we shared blood, it felt like much more. Was that real? Or just the blood? Or just my own reaction to the blood?

There was the issue of Bill, who definitely wanted us to get back together. He wouldn't be happy that I'd taken Eric's blood again. Maybe if I went straight home and showered I could at least explain to Bill what happened before he smelled Eric on me and got too angry to listen. But if I was having these feelings for Eric maybe I should just end Bill's hope, even though Eric didn't return my feelings.

"You will have to speak to him," said Eric, doing that thing where he seemed to read my mind again. I emerged out of my thoughts and saw he was looking at me. I really wished he'd watch the road more. Especially since watching my face gave him more information than I wanted him to have. "He is agitated because when we shared blood it interfered with his tie to you. He was unable to feel you for a while and even now the connection is weaker than it was. He does not trust my word that you are all right. He needs to see it for himself." Eric had turned to watch the road which was good, but had also started speaking in a very formal way that wasn't.

"That's why he called you, to see if you could still feel me?" It explained why Bill had been yelling down the phone.

"Yes." I was looking at Eric now. Having wanted him to look away, I was now bothered that he wasn't looking at me. I was so confused. If I'd been a cartoon character my head would have exploded and ruined the interior of my new car.

We were both dancing round the main issue, which was typical of me but very unusual for Eric. I grabbed the vampire by the fangs – figuratively. (Note: It's never a good idea to do this literally. Vampire fangs are very sensitive, when they are touched you can pretty much guarantee that the vampire concerned will be having dinner, sex or committing murder – or some combination thereof. So unless that's your intention, avoid the fangs.)

"Have you told him?" I asked looked at Eric's face but he was still watching the road (for once), hiding his emotions behind the vampire mask.

"No."

"Will he know?" I couldn't read Eric at all in that moment, every time I thought I was getting close to him he threw up these walls.

"He'll know you've had my blood." There it was again, the implication that what we'd done was more significant. Drinking someone's blood is pretty intimate in itself, but this?

"Is it like cheating?"

"Are you his?"

"No."

"Then how can you cheat?"

We didn't say any more the rest of the way back to the bar.

* * *

**Big apologies for not replying to reviews from the last chapter, I think the muses have been hit by Loki mischief whammy as they are not cooperating at all over the next couple of chapters. Hopefully I'll have them beaten into shape soon (I've had what happens written for ages, it's getting the wording just right that is the problem). Anyway, thank you everyone for your comments, I love hearing from you all. Xx**


	29. See No Evil, Hear Plenty of Evil

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. **

**Thanks to my wonderful beta treewitch703 :)**

* * *

**Chapter 29: See No Evil, Hear Plenty of Evil.**

**Dating Don't: Don't be surprised if he has a few unusual ex-lovers; once they get passed a certain age you should be more worried if they have none.**

As Eric parked my Porsche beside his Corvette I stared at the back door of Fangtasia with dread. Something told me this was not going to go as well as my meeting with the Weres. Eric had said that the blood sharing was just a work thing; Sam had told me that any treaty between the Weres and Eric's vamps would involve some kind of blood signing; It did seem that swapping blood was the SOP with supes. I just didn't think Bill was going to see it that way.

Eric gave the impression of being all business when he replied to my questioning gaze, though he avoided direct eye contact and spoke very quietly.

"Sookie, what we did needs make no real difference to you. Within the supe community it means that any harm done to you is the equivalent of an attack on me. In the old days this was done with members of a vampire's household. You work for me and I am sending you out to speak for me, therefore the distinction is necessary." He stepped out of the car without another word, still not looking my way. Was Eric hiding something from me?

I forced myself to get out of the car and follow Eric inside.

I was barely through the door of Eric's office when I found myself pinned in Bill's arms.

"Sookie, thank God. I was so worried, I thought something had …" He froze and his grip around me went from firm hug to iron cage in an instant. The next second he shoved me from him so hard I went flying back and smacked into the door. My back hit the door handle painfully before I collapsed to the ground. As I looked to Bill in shock, I saw that Eric had grabbed him by the throat and pinned him to the floor. Both vampires looked furious.

Pam ignored them as she walked calmly round their tableaux and came to help me up, stepping over Bill's legs as though he was a mess someone hadn't cleaned up.

"Are you hurt?" She asked with uncharacteristic concern. I thought I might have a bruise where I hit the handle but other than that I was mostly winded and shocked. Shaking my head, I blinked the blur from my eyes. I looked at Eric and Bill again, they still looked frozen. Bill had both hands around Eric's wrist but clearly could not budge the fingers that had a death grip on his throat, both had their fangs out and an under-growl rumbled across the floor.

Planning to give Bill what for, I opened my mouth but Pam shook her head firmly at me and I closed it again. After a long moment Bill's anger seemed to retreat and he dropped his hands to his sides in submission, retracting his fangs. Eric didn't let go but an subtle change in his demeanour meant his hold became more matter-of-fact than fury. I could no longer hear the growls but they had faded out so gently I wasn't sure when they'd stopped.

"That is not the first time you have manhandled Sookie but it will be the last. As you have clearly realised, she is now discernibly under my protection. Any assault on her is an assault on me and punishable as such, are you clear Compton?"

"Yes Sheriff," Bill was completely submissive. Eric stood slowly, leaving Bill on the floor. It was strange how my awareness of how lethal Eric could be had retreated into the background. The fact had come rushing back in on me, taking me by surprise. Though it hadn't been directed at me, the deadliness in his voice had my heart hammering and I discovered I was holding on to Pam. As I realised this and glanced at her she smiled, flashing me a little fang to let me know she didn't mind. I steadied myself and let go of her.

Very slowly Bill raised himself and stood. He bowed to me.

"I apologise Miss Stackhouse, it will not happen again," he said very formally. His voice was calm and polite but very impersonal.

"Bill, don't!" I told him. I was feeling anxious due to my tumultuous emotions and didn't know what else to say. I wanted to yell at him for hurting me, I wanted him to be really sorry, I wanted to make him wait until I'd forgiven him enough to explain. I _didn't_ want him to be speaking to me like I was a stranger but I knew there were some deep seated vampire rules in place here and I didn't know what they were. I stared at my hands and twisted my fingers together.

Nobody said anything for a long time. Eric appeared completely relaxed almost to the point of boredom. Pam looked like she was enjoying herself. Bill evinced that impossible mix of detached, alert, and controlled that made him look like one of those guards at Buckingham Palace that ignore tourists making faces at them while not deviating from their duty for even a blink (I'd seen a show about them on TV). I was just mortified by the whole situation and couldn't think of a single thing to say, not one thing.

It was Pam that broke the silence.

"What did you get from the Weres?" She asked. I glanced at her, expecting her to be speaking to Eric but she was looking at me expectantly. I cleared my throat.

"Alcide and the others that were there are willing to negotiate but they have to convince Patrick Furnan. Alcide will call me when he's spoken to him," I reported. I'd already told Eric all this of course but work talk was safe, I was glad to move on to that.

"You met with Alcide Herveaux tonight?" Bill asked in shock. He then looked surprised at himself for saying anything and glanced at Eric, worried he might have spoken out of turn. Eric seemed unaware of the rest of us as he casually perused Bon AppéTIT magazine. Since it had been bought-out by vampires the capitalisation of the end of the title wasn't the only change. For example, articles on how to prepare a succulent breast had definitely taken on a different flavour. It had been moved from the 'food' section to the top shelf (though some vamps argued strongly against this re-categorisation) and mostly contained a lot of neck and inner thigh shots of nearly naked humans.

"Yes," I said to Bill, ignoring the way Eric was massaging his canines with his tongue. "Sorry I didn't cancel with you. I completely forgot about our plans tonight. I just got so busy with work." Though my words were polite there was enough edge in my voice to let Bill know my apology for _my_ lapse in etiquette didn't excuse or forgive _him_. He could at least try to be more understanding.

"Work?" Bill looked confused.

"Oh, I thought you knew." I glanced at Eric, he was still engrossed in his magazine, rotating the page to look from a different angle. I decided to explain, sure that when Bill understood what I was working on he would recognise how important it was and realise how wrong he'd been to get mad at me. "Well, it all happened real quick, there isn't much time to get things going so …"

"Sookie, what are you talking about?" He interrupted gently.

"Sookie has been attempting to open up negotiations with the Shreveport pack on my behalf." Eric said, slipping himself casually into the conversation from his perch on the front of his desk without looking up from his magazine. Bill looked stunned.

"You want to negotiate?" Bill asked Eric in disbelief.

"No, I wanted her to spy. Sookie however decided negotiation might be a better way to go and I am allowing her to explore the possibility." Eric still didn't raise his eyes from the page as he spoke, you'd think he had no interest in the matter at all. Bill turned back to me.

"You are looking for some kind of treaty?" He was playing catch-up.

"Yes, between my work here and my Friend of the Pack status, I thought I might be able to help prevent you all resorting to violence for no good reason." Any subtlety in my comment was completely undone by Pam who gave Bill such a pointed look she nearly had his eye out. I could see the thoughts whirring in Bill's head as he processed everything. After a moment he nodded. It seemed he accepted I was the best or perhaps the only person to do this.

"But earlier … Did the Weres do something? Is that why I couldn't …?" Bill obviously still wanted to know why his tie to me had been interrupted but was being very careful not to upset Eric again. When Bill glanced at him, Eric spoke.

"I decided, as Sookie was discussing the current dispute with a large crowd of Weres and doing so as _my_ representative, it would be safer for her if it were clear she is under my protection."

Bill was trying to work out what the deal was. He kept looking me over in short intense bursts, avoiding a direct stare. If we'd been alone I suspected he'd be going for a strip search. I wished he'd just ask whatever it was that was on his mind but I was unsure if I should speak, I didn't want to undermine Eric. As Bill continued his not-so-subtle inspection, Eric rolled his eyes, flipped a page, and then spoke again.

"I gave her blood. It was important that Sookie carry my scent in a way that was beyond misinterpretation. In fact that is what I was doing when you called." He spoke disinterestedly, an act he might have gotten away with if his jeans hadn't started to bulge at that moment, though that could have been in response to the picture of Miss Taste of Texas his eyes were devouring, (apparently she lived exclusively on Tex-Mex in order to add a little spice to her blood). Bill kept his face carefully blank as he considered Eric's reasoning. I could tell he wasn't inclined to agree and was suspicious that there was more he wasn't being told.

"Did it work?" Eric asked glancing in my direction before flicking to a new page. He didn't seem in the slightest bit discomfited by the excitement he was displaying for the room.

"They certainly understood the message. But overall I think my association with Sam got us further than my eau d'Eric," I answered carefully while trying to find a safe direction for my eyes. Eric smirked at my phrasing.

Bill took a step towards me and Eric's eyes stopped roaming over the page he was looking at but other than that he didn't react.

"Sookie, I am truly sorry, I should exert more control over myself. I _never_ intended to harm you," Bill said sincerely. I nodded.

"I know that Bill," I said, agreeing with both his statements. It takes years and years for vampires to gain control of themselves after they are first turned and much longer to maintain that control in all circumstances. But though Bill could still be considered quite young by vampire standards, he still should have more control. Mean to or not, he'd hurt me. I could accept it hadn't been his intent but that isn't to say I was all right with it. Between the sharing and the Weres and then Bill and Eric already crossing fangs once tonight, I couldn't take any more right now, with a sigh I pushed it aside to deal with later, without the audience.

Luckily, everything calmed down after that and I settled into a chair to give Eric my full report. He looked at me sharply as I tried to hide my wince on sitting, I was going to have a bruise from the door knob despite his blood, but he didn't say anything. By the time I was finished I was exhausted.

"Sheriff, if it's all right with you I would like to offer to drive Sookie home," Bill said politely. "She is clearly tired and it might be best if she didn't drive herself." I didn't glare at him. I understood why he'd asked Eric rather than me and saw the offer as a sign of contrition for his earlier action. It was a start. Also I really was too tired to drive and it meant I wouldn't have to impose on Eric or Pam. Eric looked at me carefully then nodded.

I started to gather myself to leave, my bed was calling as was the refuge of solitude. As I picked up my coat to put it on, Pam suddenly started talking to Bill, wanting to share her 'kissing Sookie' experience, in great detail. Bill's expression was that of someone looking at a car crash; he really didn't want to know but seemed unable not to pay attention anyway. While Bill was distracted, Eric came round and took my jacket, holding it out for me. As I turned to put it on he suddenly lifted my blouse and looked at my back. I felt his cool fingers brush over the now tender flesh just below my waist and glanced back at his face. It was blank.

"Sookie, wait for Bill in the bar," he said letting my shirt drop and putting my jacket on me. I was nervous about what was about to happen but Pam grabbed my arm.

"Come on Sookie. Would _you_ like to hear my kissing Sookie story?" Her fangs were out again, I was starting to forget what she looked like without them.

"No thank you Pam, I was there, remember," I said glancing back over my shoulder with a worried frown as the office door closed behind us.

"It is necessary. Unfortunately Bill will not suffer anything he cannot recover from as your injury was relatively minor, but Eric cannot ignore it," she explained in hushed tones. Her explanation was punctuated at the end by a loud bang against Eric's door and an_ oomph!_ that sounded a lot like Bill. Pam pulled me into the bar and even poured me a drink for which I was tickled. Pam didn't serve anyone except Eric usually, and even him begrudgingly at times.

Tired as I was I still had to be careful. If I didn't watch myself, I was much faster than normal. When, on the way to the car, I nearly dropped my purse but managed to grab it in a flash of movement, Bill shot me a look of deep disappointment. I'd sometimes seen the same look from Gran when I'd let my anger get the better of me and spilled someone's secrets on purpose. I knew that even though Bill couldn't say anything he still wanted to be sure I knew how he felt. The flare of anger I felt caught me off guard. My emotions were stormier than I was used to. At least my anger at Bill for his attitude was, so was my frustration as I realised, since I really didn't want to bother Eric or Pam for a ride, I'd just have to put up with him.

Pam and Eric wandered out the back door speaking quietly to each other and paying no attention to us. Bill put out a hand towards me, an offer to help me into the car but I gave him the cold shoulder and got in on my own. He kept his composure and walked round to the driver's side. Whatever Eric had done to him didn't seem too bad, nothing was visible. If he was in pain he hid it well, but then vampires were good at that. He was a little slow getting in the car and moving in general but I figured that was him making a point about me moving too fast. I didn't say anything on the drive home and neither did he.

When we reached my door he looked as if he was about to take my hand and kiss it the way he usually did but I folded my arms. As I looked at him I wondered if the distance I was feeling was permanent.

"It's late and you are tired, we will talk another night. Sleep well Sookie. I really am sorry I hurt you, it should never have happened." I didn't say anything. He was right that it shouldn't have happened, since I had a bruise even with all that blood of Eric's, I knew I'd be in a lot of pain without it.

[~~~]

Damn Yellow-bellied Sapsucker!

This was my first thought in the morning. Well, actually my third. My first thought was _shut the hell up_, my second thought was _ouch_ and then I got to the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It sounds like a good ol' Southern insult but is actually the name of the type of woodpecker that was making enough of a racket outside my bedroom to wake me up. The 'ouch' came when I tried to bang on the window to scare the bird off and managed to put my hand through the glass.

Now I had a window to fix, a cut on my hand and blood all over my bed. My next thought therefore _was_ a good ol' Southern insult, and it was about another type of sucker that liked to disturb my sleep. He was the reason that my hearing was sharp enough for the bird to wake me in the first place and that my thump was strong enough to smash the windowpane; him and his stupid super-strength blood.

A trip to the bathroom, coffee set, shower, hand bandaged, dressed, load of laundry on, coffee drank. I was brushing my hair before the caffeine kicked in and I was able to note I was doing all this at probably twice the usual speed. I needed to watch myself. I wasn't moving vamp speed or anything, just faster than natural. To an observer I'd probably look like I was in fast-forward but just the x2 setting rather than super-fast-forward.

Not wanting to ponder too much why (despite my late night and early morning wake-up call) I was full of vitality, after cleaning up the glass and boarding up the window, I put the energy to use cleaning the rest of my house. Some people did their thinking while in the bath, or running, or sitting on the toilet (a popular one from what I over-heard), for me it was cleaning. So I cleaned and thought about the problem of a possible supe war, which meant anything else I might have to worry about … well, I'd just take a leaf from Scarlett and think about that tomorrow. She was quite right that I'd go crazy if I thought about it today.

If Alcide could convince Patrick to talk to Eric, we would need neutral ground for them to meet. So where _do_ you gather a whole bunch of supernatural creatures that would like nothing more than to whip out their sharp-and-pointies and rip each other to shreds? We'd need somewhere that had enough space and offered privacy from prying eyes. I also needed to ensure the protection of all sides.

Vampires were stronger and faster than Weres, I'd seen that up close and personal. On the other hand, Weres tended to be well versed in vampire weaknesses, not only things like the damage silver can do but also their tendencies towards arrogance and overconfidence. Weres were often known to get the upper hand, especially when they had chance to set traps, simply because vamps were too proud to be cautious.

I mulled it over and over as I concentrated on my polishing. After two hours the best solution I could come up with was my house. The woods provided privacy and there would be space enough on my driveway for everyone to park. The Weres couldn't set up any traps because I'd know, which would settle vamp security. That only left me stuck for what guarantees I could offer the pack.

I was fairly confident that Eric wouldn't betray me by ambushing them in my house but there was no way that would convince the Weres it was safe. I could promise that I would rescind the vampires' invitations if necessary, but Patrick was unlikely to trust me enough to accept that either. If it was Alcide rather than Patrick I had to convince it would be easier, not that Alcide was all buddy-buddy with Eric but he at least had some faith in me.

[***]

I decided to try and talk to Sam again to see what he thought. Maybe I could even get him to show up at the meetings; he knew everyone and understood the politics better than I did. Even if he wasn't prepared to show up, maybe he'd be able to offer more advice on the best way to do things. I knew there had been negotiations of this kind before, there must be a way to make both sides feel safe. After what Sam had told me about being a Shifter, I figured he must know something about it even if he didn't want the job.

Resisting the urge to hop, skip, and jump my way to Merlotte's (I really was over charged energy-wise), I packed up the last of the pie from the fridge as a bribe and set out. I slalomed my way between the potholes swerving to the rhythm of my radio and played chicken with a feral pig (the pig won but I felt daring just the same). Luckily I managed to rein myself in before taking the 'cross-country' route through the trees in order to see if my car could manage it.

The shadowed figure in the office window told me where Sam was and I snuck in quietly, planning to pop up and surprise him with some pie. Though I'd forced myself to calm down, I was still grinning to myself at how I was going to make Sam jump. I tiptoed my way towards his door. As I got close I heard a distinctive voice and held still listening. My enhanced senses meant I could hear the conversation quite easily.

"… They've let you alone for now, they know they have to make allowances after what happened but they'll not ignore you forever."

"I made my decision ten years ago," Sam replied sounding tense. My playful mood disappeared in a flash and I glanced around for a weapon in case he was in danger.

"Don't you know angry rants fuelled by grief and hurt hold as much water asholeybootswith the guild." I was trying to judge the situation. While Sam's voice was definitely full of pain, anger, and fear, it didn't sound like he was being threatened. In fact his visitor sounded full of affection for my boss.

"I meant what I said," Sam was insisting.

"You're the most powerful Shifter we'vekennedin centuries, there's no denying what you are!" I knew that voice, full of challenge. I could just see those intense green eyes, that thick dark hair. He was hardly one to talk about powerful Shifters, hadn't Eric said he was the most powerful of all? Wait, what was that about Sam? Sam Merlotte was also some sort of super-Shifter?

I realised, after what Sam had told me the other day, that as a true Shifter he was a rare breed but he hadn't given any indication that he personally was special. Loki's tone gave no room for doubt though, Sam was the rarest of the rare, even stronger than the others. Now that I thought about it, other supes did seem to show him a great deal of respect considering he didn't act as one of those mediator Shifters. Even Eric had apologised for being rude to Sam once, and he hated to apologise to anyone (mostly he considered ceasing to do 'whatever it was' as apology enough). But then, the one thing all supes respected was power.

"What I am? How about _who_ I am, doesn't that count for anything?" Sam's voice held as much challenge as Loki's. It was no surprise to me that Sam didn't consider any extra strength he might have as important. Power had never held the draw for him that it did to most people. Whatever natural born advantages he had, Sam was coloured unexcited by it. He didn't want to be 'a prince among men' he just wanted to be 'among men'. Perhaps that was why I'd always seen him the way I had. His power was so understated that I'd missed it, especially next to so many others who loved nothing more than to shove their power down my throat (sometimes quite literally).

"Why do you go on like your two parts don't share the same dick?" Loki asked sounding genuinely curious.

"I won't be defined by it, I'm Sam, just Sam that's all.**"** Sam's voice had an added edge of sulk. I suspected he didn't really believe what he was saying no matter how much he wanted to.

"Sam, your magic is a part of you, as much as your mind, as your heart. It's the very essence of your being. You don't think you could step aside from the guild for a turn, make this life for yourself, if you weren't a force to be reckoned with?"

"But since this _is_ the choice I made, why can't you leave me in peace? I want no part of the politics Pitamaha I never did." I didn't know the term he'd used to address Loki but I could tell it was an affectionate one. Like Pawpaw, it had that mix of a general term used in a personal way.

"Then what's with everything being in place here? You say you don't want a part of it all but you've created a network about you, a well oiled one too." I could tell that Loki was impressed and also that he liked Sam. His voice was encouraging, urging Sam to see in himself what others could see. Despite the trouble he'd caused me, I softened ever-so-slightly towards the mischief maker.

"It's for protection. Mine and those I care about. That's all." Sam's voice was stronger again, he was always at his best when in protective mode. I couldn't help but smile affectionately at the sound of this familiar trait in my friend.

"You have a mate?" There was excited interest in Loki's voice. I could almost picture him giving Sam one of those x-ray looks that people give when trying to read someone else's thoughts. (I never have this expression – it's not like _I_ ever need to try.) There was a long silence.

"No," Sam finally admitted. "But I have … friends. We're close knit round here, and it's always better to know what's going on, safer."

"So when you hear of something happening. When you know you change things, could stir the pot a little. Are you saying you just ignore it and 'let the chips fall where they may'?"

"Unlike you, I feel no desire to stir things up just to make life more interesting. I suppose you're responsible for the war that's brewing."

"I am not," Loki said in a harder voice, then more playfully, "though I might have tweaked the timing a little."

"I knew it. All your crap about balance and harmony, what you really love is destruction," Sam roared, outraged.

"You have never appreciated my art," Loki said in a hurt voice.

"Your _art_ is causing trouble, with no care for who gets hurt in the process." The growl that had entered Sam's voice told me the air around him would be tingling with his magic. Unlike Calvin and his panthers, Sam's eyes didn't change, he didn't start to grow claws or any of the other animalistic qualities that unwary weres exhibited in unguarded moments. I realised now this was probably due to Sam being more powerful. He was more in control of his magic. Still, if you were stood close to him you would be able to feel the energy in the air. Like standing near static, it raised the hairs on your arms.

"I was not to blame for what happened to Elizabeth, Sam." Loki had a hint of warning under the friendliness of his usual tone. Sam didn't heed it.

"And when war breaks out because you thought it would be fun to get everyone riled up, because it entertains you, and people die as a result, that will not be your fault either I suppose." Sam was really angry now and I jumped as I heard a loud bang. I was about to go into the office and make sure he was OK when Loki spoke again. He sounded calm, jovial even, maybe Sam had just knocked something over?

"Don't eat my head off, Wakhashem, you have never accepted the subtleties. The war was brewing with or without me." Sam made a noise of dissent but Loki continued with the certainty of someone explaining water is wet. "Some of your Weres think the revelation has flipped up the vampires' soft underbelly in a way that's never happened before, and some vampires, them who were opposed to the revelation, are itching to have a rumble with someone, anyone. All I did was egg on the trouble a bit, bringing it to a head sooner."

"Why though? Why interfere at all?" It was clear Sam accepted the truth of Loki's claims. Doubt and uncertainty stitched his question, I suspected he knew the answer already, or at least had a good idea of what it would be.

"There are some who want war, who have been planning for it. The more time they have to prepare the more likely they'll get what they want. All out war would kill thousands, maybe more, not to mention the political shite that'll hit the fan. I cannot undo what is already done, but in bringing things forward I've created an opening, a chance for a peaceful solution. The sword rattling has not yet built to the point where war is the only possibility Sam." I was desperately trying to keep up with all the information. I wished I had a tape recorder or something so I could play it back later, bit by bit.

Sam was a super-shifter; Loki wanted him to work for some sort of guild which I guessed was the 'Shifters as Mediators' lot; Sam had left after something happened to someone for which he blamed Loki; Loki had started all this war stuff; but only because it was going to happen anyway and he wanted to 'give peace a chance'; and a peaceful solution _was_ possible; that was a lot of information for a few minutes snooping.

Loki was still speaking as adrenalin pumped through my body making my heart pump so hard that without Eric's blood I'd have had no chance of hearing what was being said. "I don't run the fucker, but I do my bit to make the world better. So what if I enjoy my work, that doesn't mean I like that its needed. This is what you've never understood. A little trouble is better than a little peace that leads to a big trouble. If I must do these things why shouldn't I enjoy myself, choose methods that are a good crack?"

"So that's why you are here? To cause trouble between the Weres and the vampires?"

"It is not!" Loki sounded offended for the first time. "I told you, I came to this little Louisiana shithole to see you. It's a pain in the ass to get to and it's out of my way but I care about you."

"Then explain why you were in a vampire bar," Sam accused.

"Oh, that wasn't about work," Loki laughed, happy to discover what was upsetting Sam. "I dropped in to see my old buddy, Eiríkr. Do you know him?"

"We've met." Sam left no doubt as to his opinion of Eric.

"He's such fun isn't he." Loki, ignoring Sam's tone, sounded affectionate.

"I'm not sure 'fun' is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Northman," Sam said with disgust.

"_North-man_, urgh. These 'Anglicised' names are so blunt, they've no musicality. Eiríkr will always be Óskmey Óski to me," Loki sing-songed back. It seemed the more disapproving Sam got, the happier Loki sounded. There was probably some truth in Sam's accusation that Loki enjoyed upsetting people.

"I don't want to know." Sam was able to interpret the nickname all too well.

"He, unlike you, understands that being right is not always about being serious."

"You're holding up _Eric_ as an example of how _I_ should be?" Sam's voice carried both insult and disgust.

"Now now, Neach-Neart, you cannot hate a man just because he enjoys an active sex life and isn't afraid of a little trouble now and then." Loki sounded so enamoured I was beginning to wonder at the nature of his interest in Eric. I knew from the research I'd done that his ability to change meant he could be female as well as male. I'd also gotten the impression long ago that there wasn't much Eric hadn't tried. I dismissed this disturbing line of thought and focused back on my eavesdropping.

"I should have realised, it's not Northman you like, it's how much he's like you." There was a lot of anger in Sam's voice as he spat this out.

Loki continued in his playful tones. "A little trouble can be fun, you should enjoy life more, especially as you seem bent on ignoring your calling." Sam was silent. When Loki spoke again he used the overly-casual voice of someone who had a conversational bomb he was about to drop. "I enjoyed seeing my old friend the other night. I was quite distracted by the most interesting Asyniur."

"WHAT?!" Sam must have been drinking judging by the spluttering I heard as he choked on what I would guess was a cup of coffee. "In Fangtasia?"

What the hell was an assynude?

"That's right." Loki deliberately ignored Sam's reaction and continued as if nothing had interrupted him. "Well diluted of course, most people wouldn't even be able to tell. Eiríkr actually has her working for him, can you believe that?! I had great fun."

"Eric has an Asyniur working for him? Are you sure?" Sam sounded partly shocked, partly disgusted.

"Oh I'm sure." There was silence while Sam thought about this for a moment. My skin was prickling at the thought of yet another type of supernatural creature to fear, I didn't even know what they were.

"Does he know?" Sam had that tone people adopt when playing twenty questions. This question was just to help him build a picture rather than the one he really wanted to ask. I wondered why he didn't ask whatever it was he really wanted to know.

"I don't think he does, and I wasn't about to enlighten him." This fact obviously delighted Loki. "He was quite taken just the same. I think he may have seduced her, or he plans to, it was hard to tell. Óskmey Óski never could resist a shieldmaiden. One whiff of fire and spirit in a woman and he's like a moth to a flame. It nearly got him killed at least twice before he died. Seducing your enemy's Stallari, now that tends to upset a few people, especially when she's also the king's daughter." From Loki's voice I guessed he'd disappeared down memory lane. According to my Viking romance book (the one that had me on the cover) a Stallari was like a General, and was basically the king's deputy on the battlefield. So I guessed that was like Napoleon and The Duke of Wellington getting together for a quick roll in the hay between battles or something – if Wellington had been a woman – and the king's daughter. How did we get onto this topic? Oh yes – Eric!

Sam sounded as exasperated as I felt: "That sound's like Northman. Wouldn't be the only time he's managed to get his hands on a woman who should know better." There was something … I bristled. Was Sam talking about me? "But an Asyniur? Surely even _he_ couldn't pull that off. He'd never have the strength to … it would be carnage." Sam sounded really disturbed.

"To be sure, she's quite diluted. Some have survived, for a while at least. Either way, it sure is likely to be a lot of fun. I could hang around. We could spend some time together." Loki sounded like he was already planning a month long stay before he'd even finished speaking. I could tell Sam intended to quash that plan if he could by his warning when he spoke again.

"There are a few pure Asyniur around too. You'd do better to walk away before they know you're here," Sam sounded firm. I guess Loki looked hurt by the implication Sam didn't want him around because my boss added more gently: "But it's your look out."

I really would have to find out what these assynude things were. Were they dangerous? It sounded like Sam and Loki were scared of them. And one was working at Fangtasia? I tried to remember who else had been near Loki, I wasn't sure. If it hadn't been for Sam's reaction I might have thought Loki was talking about me, seeing as I'd been serving him, but Sam wouldn't have been so surprised, he already knew I was working for Eric, he'd arranged it.

I thought about what I heard, assynude couldn't be a word for telepath. Loki and Sam talked about them like they were a type of supe and I was just plain old human with a defect, plus they indicated these assynude things were powerful which I was not. On top of that Sam said there was another one about and the only other telepath I'd ever met was Barry who'd never been near Bon Temps. No it couldn't be me, which meant there was someone dangerous working at Fangtasia and Eric didn't know about it.

"Really? Pure Asyniur? Here?" Loki sounded as if he didn't think Bon Temps was the sort of place you'd find an assynude. "I guess you're right, I'd really rather not run into them. Vicious things when they're upset, all kill, kill, kill. You'd think they'd be over it by now, but they sure know how to hold a grudge. It's a pity I shall miss all the fun though, and I _shall_ miss Eiríkr," he lamented. "He's quite as wicked as me. But they'll be sure to kill him when they find out he's been near her. He's already on a few of their hit lists, after the last war."

OK, so note to self; tell Eric to stay away from any assynudes. Then again Loki said Eric didn't know she was one. He did say Eric was trying to seduce her, but with Eric that only narrowed it down to any reasonably attractive woman within flying distance. The idea of suggesting to Eric that he stop flirting was as ridiculous as trying to suggest that a human stop blinking.

"He must have some protectors in their ranks then, they know he's here. There has been some … crossover, between groups. Eric himself has had direct dealings with at least one of the pure Asyniur – though it was under unusual circumstances," Sam said.

"What sort of crossover?" Loki was getting excited again.

"We have some mutual interests that's all," Sam was dismissive.

"Really? So the two of you are on good terms then?"

"I wouldn't say our terms are good, they are non-violent,"

"Well now you've got my interest. You and Eiríkr, you have some kind of understanding?" Loki managed to imply an awful lot with such a simple sentence.

"Jesus Christ, Pitamaha. He's …" Sam paused as he searched for a word to communicate his distaste. "… dead … and fanged … and urgh Eric Northman. Just because a man loves himself doesn't mean the rest of us have to." Like Loki had done earlier, I got the feeling Sam had directed his comment at more than one person who fit the description.

"Don't be a prude Samuel," said Loki in a prim English tone before reverting to his normal voice. "Your man is quite talented, as is his child if you prefer women – though as I think of it, she does too which could be tricky."

"Great, this just gets worse. I don't do fangs, not Northman and not his sociopathic issue."

"Well maybe you should, it might loosen you up a little, you're so tense." OK this conversation was becoming more and more disturbing. Not only did Loki seem to be saying he'd had sex with both Eric and Pam at some point, but he seem to be suggesting Sam try it too.

I knew Sam needed rescuing and on being reminded that my new fangy relationship with Pam was due to Loki, I wasn't inclined to do him any favours, even if I accepted he wanted what was best for Sam. I knocked on the door silencing their conversation instantly.

There was the sound of footsteps then Sam snapped the door open with a scowl. His eyes went wary immediately and he kept the door only partly open to block me from seeing his visitor, or perhaps to stop his visitor from seeing me.

"I'm busy right now Sook, can you come back later?" He said quietly. There were more steps and the door was wrenched from his hands. Loki smiled delightedly. His long dark hair was framing his face and his green eyes seemed even richer than I remembered. I felt myself warm slightly under his gaze.

"Be still my heart. Most sumptuous Sookie, we meet again." He smiled at me like I was an old friend and held out his hand. I didn't return his warmth or take the offered appendage.

"Luke." I nodded slightly. Sam looked between us. "Luke here was in Fangtasia the other night when I was working," I explained, hoping they wouldn't realise I'd been eavesdropping.

"Of course," Sam said, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Oh dear!" said Loki looking at me carefully. "Oh dear oh dear!" He was truly shocked by something as he looked at me. "I hope this wasn't because of me. I never meant for things to get so out of hand." His expression held a mix of guilty concern and intrigued fascination. As he continued to stare at me like I was a rare phenomenon, I suddenly knew he could see Eric's blood in me. I might have a bone to pick with him about Pam but I couldn't blame him for the blood thing.

"No," I assured him, shaking my head firmly and pleading with my eyes that he not say anything about what he could see. It was hard enough with Bill being all moody and judgemental over it, I didn't want Sam giving me a hard time too. "It has nothing to do with you at all," I insisted. Loki looked even more curious but pushed his lips together in a deliberate manner.

I turned to my boss who looked extremely upset about something. "Sam I wanted to check everything was all right, about covering my shifts this week. I'm sorry about the short notice and everything." We'd already covered this of course but I couldn't ask for help with the treaty in front of Loki, even if he was about finding peaceful resolutions. I had too many unanswered questions about Sam's relationship with him. Besides Sam didn't seem to want to tell him about it (seeing as he hadn't), and I wouldn't betray my friend.

"You work for Sam?" Loki looked very interested in this too.

"Usually," I smiled briefly at him.

"Well isn't that grand. To have such 'mutual interests'." Loki moved his focus to Sam and I followed his gaze. Sam had pulled himself together but there was something distant about him. I noticed he was being very careful not to touch me, yet he was staying between me and Loki at the same time.

"It's not a problem Sookie. It's all been sorted out." I really wanted to ask about the assynudes but there was no way to do that without confessing I'd been listening to their conversation. Besides Sam was desperate for me to go. I decided to leave it at that for now. I'd just have to think of a way to ask Sam another time.

"Well if you're sure. Just call me if you have any problems. You have my cell number?" I asked.

"I do," Sam said. Loki was adding numbers in his head or something, judging by his expression. Sam just looked uncomfortable.

"Well I'll see you soon," I smiled again and flicked my eyes at the ancient Shifter to include him, then skedaddled out of there.

When I got to my car Loki was waiting for me.

* * *

**Translations**

Pitamaha: Grandsire (from Sanskrit )

Wakhashem: Little fool – Loki's pet name for Sam when irritated with him (Egyptian Origin)

Neach-Neart: From Early Gaelic, Person of power and strength both magical and physical – Loki's pet name for Sam when feeling fond. Yes Loki uses a real mix of languages, when you've been around as long as him you pick up all sorts :)

So are you curious as to what Eric did to Bill? Well I'm going to tell you anyway :) He removed a kidney, it will grow back of course, but it takes some time to regrow organs and is very painful.

Love and hugs xx


	30. Kiss of the Puppy-Man

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Big love and many many thanks to treewitch703, as always, xx. **

******Thank you for all the reviews and messages. Hugs and kisses to you all.**

Just a note regarding the interpretation of the term Asyniur (or Assynudes), though this is the term used for some Norse Goddesses, those same myths refer to Loki as a God, this categorisation is disputed by Eric who as you will remember said "He is no more a God than I am, less of one in fact," well yes enough of that Eric! The point is not to assume 'human' history got it right :) but yes he is referring to the descendants of the creatures that were known by the Nordic people as Asyniur. (Everything relevant will be explained and I might add on a separate little one-shot to give you the extra background I have "Picasso'ed" – _all the same puzzle pieces are there just not arranged in the usual way –_ from the old myths.)

* * *

**Chapter 30: Kiss of the Puppy-Man **

**Dating Don't: Don't slobber all over her. Unless you can make yourself cute enough to get away with it. **

_When I got to my car Loki was waiting for me. _His broad frame filled the passenger seat but he looked perfectly relaxed. The car had been locked so I wasn't sure how he'd gotten in, maybe he'd turned into something really small and gone through one of the air vents or something. That didn't explain how he'd gotten the power-windows to open though. His long dark hair rippled over his shoulders in a natural wave. It framed his face and made his scintillating green eyes stand out so much it was hard to look anywhere but at them.

"You were stood outside the office so long I began to think you were never going to say hello," he said casually as he flicked through my CD's, grimacing at those he didn't like and pitching them out the window. I watched as several of the small round discs disappeared deep into the sun dappled poison ivy. I doubted I'd be able, or want, to find them again. They were mostly borrowed from Jason's place, since he wasn't using them and my old car didn't have a CD player. I frowned at their loss but figured with all I'd done for him he could overlook it.

My bigger worry was what to do about the mythical God that was not so mythically sitting in my car. Eric had said he was dangerous and should be avoided. On the other hand Loki did have an affectionate relationship with Sam, even if it was complicated. He didn't _seem_ to be threatening me, but then Sam hadn't _seemed_ like someone who turned into a collie every full moon before he'd told me (though now it was easy for me to see that part of him).

I glanced back at Merlotte's wondering if I should just get Sam. When I returned my gaze to my car it was empty. I felt wrong-footed and was frowning when I found myself spun on the spot to come face to face with Loki. He had the devil in his eyes as he leaned in, brushing my cheek with his as he ran his nose up the side of my face. His grip was a little too firm to be comfortable but not hard enough to hurt.

"Hmmmm, what a grand scent you've got on you, I'd love to know how you got it," he said. I stomped on his foot, which he obviously wasn't expecting as he '_ouch_'ed and hopped back. I moved quickly to put the car between us. Loki looked at me, a slow smile spreading across his face.

Great! Why was it, in games of cat and mouse, I was _always_ the mouse. And not in the comforting 'Tom and Jerry' sense, in the 'everyone has bigger claws than me' sense.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Didn't I just say, I'm curious about your scent."

"Lavender Conditioner, a buck fifty at Walmart," I told him. He laughed and started walking around the car towards me. I moved too, keeping as much car between us as I could while still being able to see him clearly.

"I'll bet you'll make some fine pups," he said. I frowned. I'd long ago decided I was never having children, I'd never risk passing on my disability to a child. Loki used my abstraction to close in on me and trap me against the side of the car. He took another long sniff. "So why did you do it?" He looked far too interested in something that was none of his business for my liking.

"Do what exactly?" I asked trying to look innocent. He smiled as if I'd just suggested we play his favourite game.

"Come on, let's stretch our legs a bit," he said grabbing my hand and pulling me along willy-nilly. I dug my heels in and managed to twist my hand free. Loki turned and winked before snatching my purse and taking off into the forest. With a spark of irritation I took off after him.

I found his clothes in a heap a short way into the trees but my purse wasn't with them, whatever shape he'd taken he'd been able to carry it somehow. I grabbed his pants and reached out with my mind. He was barely in range and I ran after him as fast as I was able through the undergrowth. Thanks to the blood I was pretty quick by human standards, I couldn't quite get a glimpse of him but his brain signature stayed within range so I was able to follow.

We were deep in the woods when I finally caught up with him. He was sat, back in human form, under a tree with my purse providing the only modesty. I held out his pants to him in triumph since he had no reason not to return what was mine but he grinned back in a way that told me he wasn't yet ready to 'swap hostages.'

"Now, why don't I start us off while you enjoy the view," he said tucking his hands behind his head and leaning back against the tree in a way that displayed his body distractingly. "You and Eiríkr have shared blood."

"Why do you care if I've had his blood?" I was still breathing hard and resisted the urge to plonk down under a tree as well.

"_Shared_," he said sternly, making it clear he knew _exactly_ what we'd done. "But even if you'd only had his, I would be interested. He's very precious about it, I never could get so much as a nip from him no matter what ruse I tried. For him to go ahead with a _sharing_ …" I could tell by the intensity of his tone that he was not letting it drop until he was satisfied. I used the party line.

"I work for him, I represent him sometimes, it's for protection, like an ID badge. Vamps have often done it with their staff in the past." Loki huffed and sounded impatient when he answered.

"Before the revelation, only very old and powerful vampires would even have a 'staff'. Sure enough you had your pets, but they only went out under glamour, other than that they'd be in what was called a snug, a safe-room that provided for their human needs and where your vampire could go for sex and blood. Even the 'staff' that would come and go, getting supplies and sorting out business affairs, were humans completely under the influence of the vampire, humans for whom the concept of free-will was not even a pipe-dream."

Eric had told me about such humans, Renfields they were known as now, Eric's disgust had been palpable when talking about them. Some of my bafflement must have shown on my face because Loki sounded more patient as he explained his point. "There's no risk to a vampire in opening themselves up and sharing with a creature like that."

Risk? Was Loki saying it was dangerous for Eric what we'd done? If so I certainly didn't want to discuss it further with a stranger. Could I now be used to hurt Eric? Time to change the subject, though I was planning to make Eric talk to me about it later.

"Why are we here?" I demanded as I looked around the trees. My heart had stopped pounding and I was calming down enough to know what a dicey position I was in. Loki softened his face.

"I really don't mean to scare you," he said sounding genuine.

"Then let's go back to my car, we can talk on the way," I suggested, challenging him to prove what he said with actions. To back my point I held out his pants again. Without a hint of a blush he held out my purse in return but didn't take the jeans.

Determined not to look, I grabbed my bag and did an about face. I was hoping I'd left enough of a trail to keep heading in the right direction. I knew he was walking just behind me but I didn't look at him, instead I focused on keeping my steps confident.

"Sharings aren't done often, many of the young ones have never heard of it." I glanced back at his out-of-the-blue comment. The way he was looking at me hinted that he grouped me with these naive 'young ones'. He still seemed to see me as part of the supe world. I wondered if he somehow knew of my disability and thought me a bit 'supe' because of it. I decided to keep the conversation theoretical, away from me and Eric.

"Then couldn't they do it by accident? A young vampire that didn't know." If it was such a big deal you'd think they'd warn them about it.

"No, vampires are takers by nature – not sharers. The process demands overcoming some strong natural instincts, just as making a new vampire does." I'd heard of this. It's like an inbuilt safety valve, giving their blood to another just _feels_ really wrong. It means vampires cannot become Makers until they are strong enough to handle the responsibilities. Only a vampire in control of their impulses, who can command their instincts, can make another vampire. It also makes them more cautious about who they turn. I wanted more information on the sharing but something told me to be careful about asking too many questions.

"Why did you think you were the cause?" I asked shifting the focus back to him instead.

"Because I may have … stirred things up a bit the other night." He looked like he would rather not have answered but I already knew what had happened.

"You mean when you lay your mischief whammy on Eric's bar!" Knowing he was busted, Loki laughed.

"Something like that," he admitted, now unabashed. "You showed an impressive level of resistance I'll give you that," he looked at me with excessive interest again.

"What do you mean?"

"My influence was being counteracted by yours. You staying calm made others the same. You're a bloody pain in the arse, it was very exciting." I remembered watching the recklessness calm in both Eric and Bill when I refused to play their games. Maybe I had some immunity, like with the glamour, though not enough in the end as it turned out, angry embarrassment welled up in me as I recalled what I'd done.

"It still caused me a whole heap of problems so thanks a lot," I said sarcastically giving him the hairy eyeball. He looked pleased at this information however.

He continued to inspect me like I was the quilt and he was the judge at the County Fair. "You did it at Merlotte's too, on Monday, didn't you," I said remembering all the tricks people had been playing and Sam's bad mood.

"Just a tad, that was more of a calling card, a mild influence to let Sam know I would be in to see him soon. Influencing Eiríkr and his area vampires, now that takes something a bit stronger, humans are always more susceptible than supes." So that was why I was _so_ reckless, I'd been exposed to the supe-strength whammy. As if having Bill and Eric trying to score points wouldn't have been bad enough, no wonder it had gotten so out of hand.

Suddenly he was off, having turned into a bobcat so he could chase a squirrel up a tree. He gave up when the squirrel went out on a branch too weak to take his weight and came back down. As he returned to human form the squirrel looked down and chatter-clacked angrily at him.

Loki was grinning happily, his eyes bright with play, I tried again to offer him his pants but he acted like he didn't even see them. I wasn't sure how much to trust the Shifter. After Eric had told me who he was I'd done some reading but I didn't know how true the myths were. Reputation suggested Loki was a trouble maker, but there were stories of him helping people too. From what he'd said to Sam he claimed to cause trouble as a means of doing good, however he definitely delighted in his wicked side. There were several accounts of his son Fenrir, the first werewolf, they explained much about the general Were attitude if they were anywhere close to what really happened.

"Now you need to answer my question, which you've managed to avoid so far," he said giving me a stern look. I actually hadn't done this on purpose and couldn't even remember what he'd asked me. I met his eye waiting to be reminded. His curious gaze pinned me in place for a very long time, like he was memorising my features. "Tell me, why did you share blood with Eiríkr? Are you in love with him?" His question was heavily serious, I could feel the load land on my shoulders as he asked. In the secret quiet of my bed I had asked it of myself, I wasn't sure I knew the answer.

"I work for him, it was for protection," I said shrugging it off by not fully answering. I focused my gaze on where I was putting my feet, only watching the Shifter from the corner of my eye.

Loki looked like I'd confirmed something for him. I hated that I didn't know what the whole 'sharing' thing was. I did know Eric was keeping something from me and that my ignorance could put both Eric and me at risk. I also knew Loki was picking up on my fears and uncertainty, I continued to avoid his eye.

As much practise as I'd had in schooling my features, my recent infusion of Eric's blood had not only given me faster reactions than I was used to (and slightly stronger ones), they could be as unpredictable as him. It felt as though I was constantly trying to put the brakes on responses that Eric was determined to provoke. As was always the case with Eric, I was unable to keep up with him.

"It was mostly used for protection in the past," Loki said kindly. I thought he was trying to reassure me even though he didn't think that was why Eric had done it. "I'm sorry for playing with you the other night. It seems you have more than enough on your plate already. I thought, since you were working there, you could handle it. I see now I misread the situation." I wasn't sure what he meant but he seemed sincere which made me suspicious.

Before I could respond he was off again, flying this time as some type of warbler. He was a pretty blue colour that you didn't see very often. He chased another bird, that was carrying a tuft of Spanish moss, through the branches, then perched, triumphantly twittering away with a high sweet call, before returning and trying to fly up my skirt. I slapped him away and he was buffeted to the ground where he bounced once then returned to human. As he brushed his tussled hair from his face, he had the pouty expression of a scolded child that isn't as sorry as he should be.

"This whole protection thing means if you do something to me it's like doing it to Eric, are you sure you want to be flying up his skirt?" I warned. Loki's eyes lit up and I remembered that he probably _would_ like to fly up Eric's skirt, damn it.

"Sadly I haven't seen your man in a skirt for a good long while," Loki lamented. "He's got great legs, some fierce thighs on him." Eric did have nice thighs, they had just the right amount of hair to be manly without being 'furry'.

"You and my Sam, you're good friends?" Loki asked calling me back from some blush-worthy memories. The change of subject surprised me.

"We are," I said definitely, challenging him with my eyes. I would not do anything that might hurt Sam no matter who this guy was. He seemed pleased by my fire.

"Good." He got up and started walking in a different direction to the one I'd been taking.

"Where are you going?"

"Short cut." I narrowed my eyes suspiciously but I could get nothing from either his mind or expression to suggest he was lying so I followed. Despite myself, I was starting to feel more comfortable with him, I wasn't even that bothered that he was naked (judging by the rich colouring and lack of tan lines he spent a lot of time like that.) I checked but I didn't feel any of the recklessness I'd felt at the bar.

"How did you know?" I asked before I could stop myself. He looked at me questioningly. "About the sharing," I clarified. Knowing I was giving too much away, I snapped off a sassafras twig and started picking at the bark. The aroma cleared my head some.

"I can see it." He shrugged as if I should have realised that. "You carry a wee bit of him inside you now, I can see that, especially when it's a bit of someone so familiar." His inspection became lascivious again, I couldn't tell if his interest was in Eric or me. Or perhaps us both? With an internal shudder I pushed that thought away.

"Can everyone see it?" I asked. I wanted to be prepared, maybe this was why Bill had reacted so strongly. Loki looked speculative for a moment then answered me.

"They can't. Most'll know you've had his blood but not that you performed a sharing. Like I said, it's not a well known process." He was definitely indicating that it was a much bigger deal than Eric had said. You'd think I'd trust Eric over Loki, but Loki was telling me the same thing as my instincts. He continued, sounding again like he was trying to calm my fears. "Of those who even know what a sharing is, only the ancients will be able to tell from looking at you."

I chewed over what he'd told me until a couple of bends in our path later when we came to a stretch of marshy black clay. I looked down at my shoes sadly, they were a pair of my favourites and they were about to get very wet. I turned to ask Loki if there was another route we could try but found a beautiful black stallion looking at me. He dropped his head and snorted lightly, nudging me in encouragement.

I'd never ridden a horse, I was torn between excitement and fear. Like many TV viewers, I'd watched scenes and imagined myself galloping along the edge of a sandy shore, splashing in the shallow waves, but in reality I wasn't even sure how I was supposed to get on. Plus this wasn't exactly your average horse, I knew even regular horses could be strong minded but I doubted there were any that could hold a candle to Loki in that respect. He backed up a few steps, lifting his hooves and shaking his head with another snort. Now that he'd moved I saw there was a large fallen branch the other side of him.

Throwing caution to the wind I clambered onto the branch and then somehow, clutching his mane, onto the horse (I tried not to think of it as Loki). It wasn't so bad. A saddle might have been nice, or at least reins but I managed to hang on by wrapping my arms around his neck and gripping with my legs as hard as I could. Obviously there was no question of me controlling the direction or speed anyway. He trotted down to the river, lifting his hooves high and splashing happily. Once on the other side he continued on for a while, altering speed and direction enough to keep my grip firm. When he finally slowed (just about the time my legs were staring to chafe), I put my hands on his back to push myself upright. As I did a voice said:

"Oh _yes_, right there."

I felt my knees hit the ground and discovered a naked Loki laying, luckily face down, in the undergrowth. I was perched on his butt with my hands pressing between his shoulder-blades. "Ooohh, press harder." He wiggled happily underneath me. I scrambled off him immediately. "I'm very impressed by the grip of your thighs, I'd be happy for you to clench them around my body again any time you like," he said with perfect seriousness. I blushed.

Looking around me, I realised I knew where I was, so I threw his jeans at him I headed back towards my car that was just a few trees and a parking lot away. Though I moved quickly, even by the standards of my 'supe' speed, Loki was in my car before me (at least he'd put his pants on). He was looking at me expectantly, but I was done satisfying his curiosity, I had my own.

"Can I ask _you_ a question?"

"That's only fair I suppose."

"What's an assynude?" This was what I was most curious about even though I was sure there were more important questions. Loki gave me a measuring look. He stared so long I started to think I shouldn't have asked. I had the feeling I'd given away more than my ignorance. After some reflection a big grin started to spread across his face. Then he laughed, louder and longer than I think I'd ever heard anyone laugh before.

"Oh, I am so sorry to miss this playing out," he finally said when he could breathe again. I kept my eyes off him and played with the belt on my jacket. With humans I was often treated as stupid but was at least comforted by the knowledge that I knew more than they thought I did. Since I'd started hanging out with supes I'd lost that advantage. Now not only did they feel I was stupid, I sometimes did too, or at least seriously under-informed.

Loki seemed to realise he'd hurt my feelings because he stopped laughing. He twisted in the seat, hitching one knee up so he was facing me. He was cautious and gentle as he reached out his hand and stroked my hair before pulling a lock towards him and running it under his nose. After inhaling deeply he reached forward again and tucked it back behind my ear so he could see my face better even though I wouldn't look at him. "Don't worry sweet lady" he said kindly. "I am certain you will find out _all_ about the Asyniur."

He took hold of my shoulders and turned me to face him. "Trust Sam. To those he loves he is unwaveringly loyal. When you are in doubt and not sure where to turn, trust Sam." I did trust Sam but I wasn't sure why Loki was telling me to. He thought for a moment still watching my face. "I like you." He looked pleased by this revelation. "I hope you will like me too, eventually." He gave me a winning smile to let me know he did not hold it against me that I didn't yet. "And you know we could make incredible children, you won't get that from your vampire. Maybe you are the answer to my long search. At the very least we would have fun trying."

I was still trying to figure this out when he leaned forward and kissed me, holding his lips to mine for a long moment, moving them softly in a way that promised pleasure to the person that accepted such a kiss. I held still, trying not to react, one way or the other (well not much). '_Just in case you need it,__'_ he telegraphed as I was noting how unusually warm his lips felt, maybe it was just because I was used to vampires.

"You taste delicious," he said moving just far enough to free his lips so that when I opened my eyes (they had closed on their own in response to the kiss) all I could see was his pupils. They didn't look so green this close. Instead they seemed to hold all the colours, not just browns and blues and greens but golds and purples and oranges. I could have stared at those eyes forever trying to understand them.

He kissed me again, this time he was more deliberate and tried to sneak his tongue into my mouth, before I pulled back. "Be sure to tell the haemo-goblin I did that, it will be no fun if he doesn't know." I rolled my eyes at him but couldn't stop from snorting at his nickname for Eric. He winked at me, then hopped onto my lap in the form of an adorable puppy that I really wanted to cuddle, even though I knew it was Loki. His tail was wagging so hard it wiggled his whole body as he licked my face all over making me giggle. In another moment he jumped out my window and flew off, now in the form of an eagle. Whatever else he was, he was impressive.

I was still gaping after Loki from my car window when my phone went. It was a Shreveport number.

Alcide was a bit grumpy at first but that was probably because I didn't answer the phone properly. I was too busy gaping up at the sky, even though all I could see by then were thin wisps of white cloud painted across the blue, since Loki was no longer in sight.

Alcide wasted no time in getting to business. Patrick was claiming to be up for 'reasonable negotiation' but didn't trust Eric as far as _I_ could throw him and refused to agree to a meeting without guarantees regarding Were safety. The good thing about this was, after a little back and forth, I was able to get Patrick to agree to the meeting on the condition of an agreeable location with satisfactory security being found. It wasn't a full commitment but it was a big step.

I told Alcide I'd get back to him as soon as I could, swung myself out of the car and headed back towards Sam's office.

Sam jumped when I burst in and spilt coffee all over himself.

"Sookie!" He choked. Suspicion crept into his eyes as he recovered from the surprise. I realised I'd been moving too fast again, I really would have to watch myself.

"Sam, I know there's a whole heap of stuff we need to talk about but right now I need your help. Alcide has gotten Patrick to agree to meet with the vampires _if_ we can provide a safe meeting place," I rushed out, hoping to skim over all the issues regarding Loki and/or my latest vamp-blood cocktail. I could see Sam taking in my scent – and presumably the way it was all mixed up with a dose of Eric's blood and seasoned with Loki-dog spit. (I'd cleaned my face with a wipe between calls with Alcide, but that wouldn't do anything when it came to supes and smell).

All the while he thought, Sam's eyes remained on my anxious face and after a moment he chose helping his friend over grilling Miss Supe-bait Louisiana on her latest exploits. As he nodded a little I gave him my warmest smile in gratitude. I felt a strong rush of affection for him in that moment and it must have shown in my face. He blushed so hard his colour matched his hair and he started stuttering, trying to speak to cover his embarrassment.

"So … Ah … You want to … use the bar?" Sam sounded sceptical about this plan.

"Actually no." I moved (carefully) to sit in the chair opposite his desk. "It _was_ my first thought, since we gathered here about the witches, but from what you told me the vampires won't like it because they see you as favouring the Weres." It was half statement half question. Sam nodded that I was right. I smiled ruefully to say I trusted him even if the vampires didn't, he shrugged back to say he didn't really care what the vamps thought, with a smile that added he was glad we were OK though. We both looked away from each other and I could hear the hum of the fridges that were the constant background at Merlotte's. I realised how much that sound was a part of the place and fleetingly had the random thought that I'd hate to ever be in the building if the fridges were off.

"So where were you thinking?" Sam pulled me back to the conversation. His frown told me he had no ideas. I watched his face carefully, I suspected he wasn't going to be as excited by my suggestion as I was.

"My house." I tried to make it sound like this was a stroke of genius but, as I'd expected, Sam looked unhappy at the idea. He ruffled his hair and grimaced at me.

"Sookie, that's not a good idea." I jumped in before he could object further.

"I've gone over it and over it. The pack shouldn't have a problem with an invitation from a 'Friend', and Eric knows my house too. It's out of the way enough to be private but not too far for them all to travel. It's as close to neutral ground as we're going to get." My theory being, if I was seen as supe -neutral then hopefully that extended to my house.

"These things can get out of hand very quickly. You might not have a house at the end of it," he warned. I hoped he was just trying to scare me out of the plan but I had to admit it was a possibility. I really hoped that wouldn't happen, I'd only just gotten the place fixed up after the fire.

"Which is why I need your help. Look, when we had that thing with the witches, everyone got together and it was fine, so it _is_ possible," I said, deliberately overlooking that in order to defend me, Eric had nearly killed one of the Weres. Everyone else had managed to stay non-violent, though I had to acknowledge that was down to Colonel Flood more than anything else. I suddenly really missed him, even though I'd only met him a couple of times. Sam looked at my determined face and thought for a moment.

"OK, let's see what we can come up with."

[***]

Sam very kindly said nothing as I handed him Loki's pants (which I'd brought in with me from the car) when we moved to the Merlotte's kitchen. He heated up some jambalaya and we both hopped up to sit on the counter and eat. We chatted for an hour. Sam explained the main areas of contention and the kinds of security that had been used in the past. Most of it seemed to involve various types of heavily armed neutral creatures I hadn't heard of.

I shook my head when he'd finished.

"Call me old fashioned but can't everyone just promise not to hurt anyone else? Surely it's not that hard _not_ to kill people." Sam laughed a bit but then a light-bulb popped on over his head.

"With a little extra help something like that might work," he said. I looked at him, confused. "Do you remember any of the witches that helped you when you went after Hallow?" He asked with the big smile of someone with a plan.

"Holly knows them," I said seeing where he was going. "Can magic do that?"

"They may have to sign something or offer some other oath but yes, if they agree, magic can make them stick to their word." We grinned at each other.

I called Holly who reluctantly gave me the numbers for some of her old coven then insisted she wanted nothing more to do with it and hung up on me.

[***]

My biggest worry was convincing Eric. I just thought it would be harder to get him to agree than Alcide, for all that he had supported my efforts so far. Part of me suspected he was only letting me try so that when I failed he'd have justification for whatever alternative action he had planned.

I phoned him that night, ignoring the call in my blood that wanted to be physically near him, (or maybe it was the call in _his_ blood wanting to go home even though it was in me?) When he answered his phone the way he always did, I was suddenly struck by the thought that maybe his answering machine message simply said 'I am not here'. Since I was feeling punchy anyway, between the effects of his blood and my mixed feelings for him since the sharing (as well as the stress of the treaty arrangements), I giggled uncontrollably for several minutes unable to speak. He hung up on me and I had to call back. The second time he didn't say anything as he answered.

I told him what I had arranged so far: That Patrick had agreed to a meeting, if a suitable location could be found, and that I thought my house was the best place to gather. He didn't like that idea any more than Sam had at first but, with some persuasion he finally (if begrudgingly) accepted that my list of reasons did make sense. I told him Sam was helping since he had some experience with this sort of thing. Eric was very quiet after I said that and I wondered if he'd heard of the guild that Loki had mentioned.

"I am not sure having the Shifter involved is such a good idea," Eric finally said. "He is neither vampire nor Were, his role is undefined in the process. The vampire community will mistrust his involvement."

"You _are_ the vampire community, and _you_ know you can trust him."

"I know _you_ trust him, which is not the same thing. Besides there are others, who I must report to, that would have to accept the agreement. They will not accept a Shifter as the negotiator." I figured he was talking about the Queen he'd told me about. The one that ordered Bill to make a database and would have ordered Eric to torture me for its whereabouts, if he'd admitted to her that he'd lost it.

"By your reasoning they'll not accept me either." I was neither vamp nor Were after all.

"Like I said, you cannot lie to me. That, along with your status as a _Friend of the Pack_," he sneered slightly to show how little he thought of the title, or rather those that bestowed it. "Will be enough to justify you arranging the meetings, and your gift provides purpose for your attendance at them. Officially you will be given the role of mediating the conversation where necessary – preventing arguments and interruptions and such." His tone dismissed this role as purely 'for appearances sake.' "Ultimately though, any agreement has to be signed in blood to hold weight. So the actual terms of any agreement will be made directly between the interested parties since we need to gather anyway, not only to sign but so that we can witness the blood-signing of each other."

I narrowed my eyes, not that he could see that but he could feel the emotion behind it. He was basically saying that me being able to pick up any dishonesty from the minds of the Weres and him being able to feel my reactions if I did, was the only justification for having me involved. I didn't believe this was _Eric's_ primary motivation for including me (though that wouldn't stop him from taking advantage of it anyway), he was just telling me how other vampires would see things. There was no point in saying anything. I couldn't change the nature of vampire politics and if I made a fuss I might be removed from the process altogether, which would mean no treaty discussions at all.

"Do you have some agreement terms in mind? I mean it's got to be a deal they trust right?" I said pushing ahead with the subject. "They don't even want to meet up in case you kill them, how will we persuade them you're on the up and up?" Eric had been growling lightly at the implication he wasn't trustworthy – or perhaps purring loudly at the idea of killing Weres, it was hard to tell over the phone, but he went very quiet again when I asked how we would prove his honesty.

"Your faith in me is ludicrous you know," he said lightly. It was true that ethical dealing was a bit of a grey area with Eric, while never out-right double-crossing (at least with me), he was in the habit of misleading, withholding and stacking the odds in his favour. But he retained a sense of honour that meant while taking advantage of loopholes was fair game, lying was not something he did lightly. Eric's sense of right and wrong had been more obvious when he lost his memory, but once you knew it was there you could see it in all his dealings.

"Well I have more insight than most, perhaps more even than you," I said, voicing my thoughts without thinking it through. I nearly panicked at making such a thoughtless comment, I knew Eric could be touchy about his amnesia, but he just laughed.

"I've told you, that other vampire is nothing like me, perhaps you deceive yourself."

"Perhaps you are the one who deceives himself," I said echoing his tone. "Now stop avoiding the question Mister, how do we prove to the Weres you're not planning a new wolf-skin carpet for Fangtasia?" Ludicrous or not, I did believe Eric would keep his word if he gave it, the difficulty would be in getting him to give it in the first place.

"Erugh – what an awful idea, it would probably have fleas," Eric sounded genuinely disgusted by the idea, which was silly since we both knew weres reverted to their human form when killed so it was impossible even if I'd been serious.

"I'm not sure that argument would carry much weight," I sighed. My conversations with Alcide always had a similar tone, it was playful, but with an underlying attitude that I knew was going to be the biggest obstacle to any agreement.

Eric felt my frustration and became more serious, he knew how worried I was that the escalating situation would hurt a lot of my friends, not to mention my brother.

"It will be fine, you have brought us together before. I know from Colonel Flood that it was your efforts that united everyone against the were-witches." I felt the old pack-master had done more on that front than me, but I had brought the issue to his attention.

"You spoke to the Colonel?" I was surprised by this though I wasn't sure why.

"For a Were he was a decent man, very … dignified. Though I put that more down to the human armed forces than the Were in him. All good soldiers share a creed." I just knew Eric would be puffing his chest out as he said this, his fingers curling slightly around the remembered shape of a sword handle.

"I liked the Colonel too, I wish we were dealing with him rather than _Patrick Furnan_." At the thought of the current pack-master my hackles raised making me less of a lady for a moment. "It chaps my ass that he accuses _you_ of being the untrustworthy one when _he was the one_ who cheated his way into the pack-master position in the first place." At least Eric could be quite up front about his deviousness and what he was prepared to do to get what he wanted. I was building up to a rant, which was the effect Patrick Furnan had on me as Alcide had noticed during our phone calls earlier. "Just because you view torture as a viable way to encourage people to tell you stuff, it doesn't make you dishonest – wrong yes, but not dishonest."

"Why thank you," Eric muttered with suppressed amusement down the line. I didn't pause though and just continued in my rant,

"But _that_ slime-ball, he's all smiles and handshakes until he gets you on you own, then he starts …"

"What?" Eric suddenly barked out, not longer amused by my ramblings. Shit, I hadn't meant to tell him about that, the idea was to put them on better terms not worse. Stupid, stupid Sookie.

"Starts what Sookie?" Eric's blood in me was humming and I suspected he was ready to fly straight to my house and shake the story out of me if he had to.

"Nothing, it was just …" the growl that reverberated into my ear stopped me cold. When Eric spoke however it was with forced calm.

"Sookie, how many times am I going to have to remind you that lying to me is not an option before you stop trying?" I sighed while attempting to gather myself and think of a way to tell the story without upsetting Eric further. He clicked his tongue impatiently.

"It was nothing, and it was ages ago, before all this Fanny Lance stuff." I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid as to bring it up at all, me and my big mouth.

"Tell me anyway," Eric demanded.

"Fine. It was when Calvin got shot and Patrick and I both went to visit him at the same time. When we came out Patrick accused me of toying with both Alcide and Calvin, I explained that he was mistaken. That was it, just a misunderstanding. He wasn't even pack-master back then."

"Hmmm." I knew he wasn't convinced that was all there was too it (and he was right as Patrick had also threatened me that day, at least it had felt like he did) but I had told the truth and Eric would be able to feel that.

"Can we just drop it and get back to the matter at hand?" I asked feeling the long hours I'd been working suddenly.

"Of course, let's get back to the issue of, what did you call it? Fanny Lancing?" With his suggestive tone, I knew heat would be radiating from Eric's eyes and it warmed my cheeks. I suddenly wished Eric _had_ flown over to my house, so I could hit him.

"I have an idea of how you can all meet safely to discuss the problems caused by Lance Trentham and Fanny McInerney," I said ignoring his teasing since it would only encourage him to continue. "But I'm not sure you're going to like it, just hear me out, OK?"

* * *

******Thank you for all the reviews and messages. Hugs and kisses to you all.**


	31. What's Eating Bill Compton

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Huge shout out to the amazing treewitch703, much love as always, xx. **

******Sorry for the delay, this was not an easy chapter to write, anyway I'll delay no more – here we go ...**

* * *

**Chapter 31: What's Eating Bill Compton**

**Dating Don't: Don't avoid the tough topics, some times you need to go head to head (not to be confused with face to face or lip to lip).**

The whole of the next week I worked hard, pin-balling amongst the vampires and the Weres and the witches trying to come up with something that everyone would agreed to. Sam helped with some advice but said he didn't want to get too involved. We had an unspoken agreement that if I didn't talk about his mythical god ancestor, he wouldn't mention me having had Eric's blood again.

I talked at length to Patricia, the woman who seemed to be the head witch, eventually coming up with a spell that would work. In the traditional version, anyone who broke their word would die, but neither she nor I could stand the thought of that. Instead she was going to tweak the magic so that anyone who tried to attack someone else while inside my house would simply find themselves boomeranged back to their own home. Each person would have to offer a drop of blood upon entering which would seal their agreement. No one that had not signed would be able to enter while the spell was in place. Unfortunately the spell could only be cast to cover one meeting at a time, once the participants left my grounds the spell wouldn't hold, but it should work.

I spoke to Alcide a lot and he passed the proposals on to Patrick. This way he was able to filter any suggestions to only ones that might be agreeable. A couple of the Weres had kept in touch with some of the witches from the witch-war so they trusted them enough to provide the security. I was surprised that Eric was also agreeable to the idea. He hadn't come off too well from the last magic performed on him. I didn't see him much but we spoke on the phone every night.

The only time I saw him was when I had to take a few hours off negotiations because he called me to Fangtasia for a meeting with my lawyer. It had been easy for me to push my own problems to the back of my mind and focus on the supe issues, the call brought it all back and I felt very anxious about the meeting. I'd spoken to my lawyer a few times, he kept me up to date on what was happening, occasionally asking for information. Plus I knew that Andy was checking up on me, he'd been into Merlotte's a few times and driven by my house to check I was sticking to my bail conditions. It was frustrating, but there wasn't anything I could do right now that Eric wasn't already doing. I had to admit, it was good that he was on the case.

Since I was going to Fangtasia I had planned to use the opportunity to discuss some other things with Eric, such as the assynudes and the sharing, but I was distracted by the rant Pam was on when I first arrived.

"Eric you _cannot_ keep making me do this!" I had no idea what she was on about but knowing Eric he was punishing her for something. "I think the first one was older than _you!_ She kept talking about all the things that were wrong with her, and then, after sharing the most intimate details of her bodily functions, she _apologised_ for being **shy. **Apparently she hadn't kissed a girl since she was at school but was looking forward to trying it again, it was like kissing your old boots." Eric was looking very pleased, Pam looked like she was about to burst from her indignation. She wasn't done yet. "But I put up with it, I didn't complain, I didn't say a word. Then there was that airhead who thought New York was 'abroad' and that going there required a passport."

"Not everyone has had the travel opportunities you've had Pam you should be more tolerant," said Eric looking serious.

"She also thought the best president America had ever had, was President Bartlet." Eric looked puzzled.

"He was a fictional character in a TV show called The West Wing," I explained. Pam threw me a look that said 'she held me partly responsible for what she was suffering and I should keep quiet', before she continued.

"All of that was bad enough, but _then_ she started telling me that vampirism was a _satanic cult_, but not to worry because if anyone I knew got sucked in they could be 'cured' by _singing! _ To_ Jesus!_" Now Eric looked like he was the one that would burst, from laughter, his amusement was only making Pam madder. "Yes, very _funny_, but this one, this one Eric, she keeps going on about how 'vampires like '_us'_, actually including _herself_, are misunderstood, how for _her_ drinking blood is a _spiritual_ experience." Pam was even more offended than the time she'd said she loved Valentino and I'd agreed that _The Sheik _was a great film. She'd gone ballistic and explained that she meant the new plexiglass and Swarovski heels not the silent film actor.

"You said you would enjoy more 'Sookie time'," Eric said with that 'innocent mistake' expression of his that fooled no one.

"I said I wanted to spend 'more time with Sookie' not spend 'time with more Sookies'!" Pam was clearly too angry to prevent herself feeding Eric more fuel for his fun. She should have realised no matter how acute, all men's hearing can be selective.

"Pamela, I have been generous enough to provide human company for you, company that has travelled some way specifically to spend time with you. You will spend at least two hours with her. How long has it been?" Despite his enjoyment there was an aspect of command to Eric's instructions making it clear Pam had better do as she was told.

"Twenty minutes," she admitted.

"Well then I suggest you get back to your date." She gave him a death glare but there was resignation and defeat in her sulky stance as she turned to go. "And Pam, do not forget the rules," Eric added.

"How could I?" With that she left, closing the door a little too firmly on her way out. The loud bang made me flinch but the door didn't break, just. I gave Eric a questioning glance.

"The rules?" I asked.

"No glamouring," he answered. I just nodded, I'd worked out the rest. Pam had been enjoying the fact that I'd kissed her a little too much and Eric was punishing her by making her 'date' various 'Sookie's' that he'd found. I didn't like to think _how_ he'd found them, I knew my name wasn't common so I suspected he'd been creative. Clearly he'd picked the ones most likely to irritate and repulse Pam. Before we could say another word there was a knock on the door, my lawyer had arrived.

Nothing new really came from the meeting, investigations into the Kravinoffs were 'ongoing', but Eric did clarify a lot of stuff and get all his questions answered. The lawyer seemed happy to show his extensive knowledge of the law which he said, despite the years of school and the three days of vigorous testing that is the bar exam, not all lawyers had.

As I'd found when I came out of the Were bar, since the sharing, proximity to Eric both rattled and soothed me. Near him, I felt happier, safer, and calmer, which worried me. It wasn't that I constantly felt anxious when away from him, just that once he was close I felt better somehow, like I _had_ been anxious and now wasn't – it's hard to explain, which is what rattled me so much. I still didn't understand what we'd done and with the lawyer there, I couldn't ask.

I kept hoping to get a moment alone with Eric but somehow it never happened. When the lawyer excused himself to use the men's room, one of Eric's vampires came in with some questions about something. Even after the lawyer left there seemed to be a steady stream of people with demands on Eric's time. Much as I wanted to speak to him, I felt bad that I'd already taken up so much time with my problems when clearly he had a lot to do.

There was also the fact that Eric seemed determined to maintain a 'professional distance.' He seemed himself in everything he said and did but still, something was off. He didn't meet my eye in the same way or something. It was really just a feeling I got but there wasn't anything I could point to. When I left he kissed me on the forehead again, it was quick and he had already turned away before I could even say 'bye' in return. On the phone he flirted as much as usual, more even, it was only in person he kept his distance. I decided Loki was wrong, that Eric hadn't meant any more by the sharing than he'd said, to protect me.

Of course Loki hadn't been the only one to think the sharing meant more than asset insurance. I didn't see or hear from Bill at all, though I had tried to be the bigger person and called to leave him a message saying I was prepared to speak to him _if_ he was prepared to listen. I felt firmly that I was in the right and he was in the wrong, but being on the outs with him itched inside me, like there was a small splinter that while not painful was annoying, I wanted to pull it out. I thought he might show up the following Sunday for my telepathy exercises with an apology but he didn't come at all.

Luckily everyone else was talking to me and finally the meeting between the Weres and the vampires was set for the following Monday night, just over a week after Eric had first told me about the problems.

[~~~]

I spent the Monday afternoon preparing my house. I cooked, baked and cleaned, set out cups, glasses and plates. Eric's blood was still making itself known and, along with being able to be my own nightlight, I was able to get things done more quickly. It made the job easier, even if it could be unsettling at times.

One day earlier in the week I'd gone for a walk to clear my head, my mind was buzzing with so many ideas and problems I hadn't been able to settle. Before I realised it, I was outside Tara's Togs! One of the things I'd been thinking about was that I needed to go there to get some clothes to wear for the meetings. With what Eric was paying me now, I could afford it. Luckily it was near the end of the day so I took the opportunity to get some outfits and Tara had given me a lift back after she'd closed up. I knew she was disturbed about how I'd gotten there without my car but she didn't press when I was vague about it.

I made sure I had plenty of True Blood in and some beers. I even set out Gran's china tea set. It had a few chips but was still a nice set. (I'd packed the silver one away upstairs, I didn't think the vampires would appreciate me handing out silver to all the other guests).

Late in the afternoon, before the sun had set, Eric called which surprised me. He explained at his age he sometimes woke before full dark. He checked everything was OK, that there had been no suspicious activity around my house, and said he would arrive with a few others later in the evening. I called Alcide to double-check his arrival time and Patricia to make sure she would be at my house to perform the spell before they all started showing up.

**[***]**

Bill knocked on my door a few minutes after the sun had dropped fully below the horizon. I know I'd told him we could talk but, as there was a large assortment of supes arriving at my house shortly, I wasn't sure this was the best time. We stood just looking at each other for a moment then eventually I sighed and moved outside. We sat on the porch swing.

"You reek of Eric," he said after we'd sat in silence for several minutes just listening to the spring chorus of little tree frogs and early crickets that sang through the woods. His top lip curled slightly and I could see his fangs were out. I had to look away from him. I hadn't even seen Eric in days, could his scent still be that strong? At least I wasn't covered in puppy-Loki spit too, I think that might have sent Bill over the edge. I'd been hoping the time apart would have allowed him to calm down – assuming he had, it was a good thing he hadn't come over earlier.

"I think it's about time you told me exactly what it means, when a human drinks a vampire's blood." I said to him. "You should have told me the first time it happened. The first time I had _your_ blood."

"I was saving your life," he defended.

"And the last time I took Eric's blood it was to save yours, you didn't seem so bothered about it that time."

"I … Is that what this is about?" He was searching my face so thoroughly, it was like someone pulling out your underwear drawer and sniffing each item inside. "Have you just been playing with me this whole time?" I flinched back from the accusation in his cold eyes.

"What?" Did Bill really think I would do that, string him along just to hurt him?

"Is this revenge for what happened with Lorena?" He demanded.

"What are you talking about? No. Of course not." I let him see just how I felt, then turned away from him. I was disgusted by the idea. I knew that some people did that sort of thing, stored up hurts and plotted long winded ways to avenge them but I thought Bill knew me better than that.

"He did it to protect me. Besides he wouldn't let me go without it and I am trying to prevent a war here remember," I said, I was starting to get mad too. "Seeing as I'd had his blood before, I couldn't see any reason not to. No one ever told me more than it would let him sense my location and feelings which he could already do," I accused. My indignation was rising, from the start I was always given information about this sort of thing after it was too late to do anything about it. As my temper flared, I glared at Bill, though to be fair, this time it wasn't entirely his fault.

"There is more to it than that." Bill backed off from his anger and looked sad, I could see him struggling to put his fangs away. I refused to feel sorry for him but I put down the coffee I was drinking and went inside to get him a blood. With what we needed to talk about I didn't want him getting hungry on top of everything else. When I returned I jumped straight in.

"You still haven't told me what the blood does, which is a habit. Only _after_ I had some of Eric's blood the first time did you tell me how you could sense my emotions and stuff. Now you tell me there is more." Bill took a moment then looked down at his feet.

"You're right. I should have told you," he admitted aloud surprising me.

"What are _all_ the effects?"

"What you have already experienced, improved senses, strength and speed. Improved appearance and health. A connection to the vampire."

"But then I had that before. What's different this time?" I cocked my head at him.

"Nothing really, except that the tie you already had will now last longer and is much more noticeable. Perhaps just because I know you both and it is so fresh. From what I can tell he has given you a lot, his scent is strong, small amounts are subtle, barely noticeable. For now his scent is mingled with yours. Any supe who approaches you will know you have ties to him," he explained. "The scent wears off, like most of the other side affects. The more you have, the longer it lasts and since Eric is so old his blood is more powerful. Even so, the effects _will_ wear off." He seemed to draw comfort from this. I looked away from him, focusing on my coffee instead.

I wondered if the fact that I hadn't just drank from Eric, that we'd 'shared' blood, made a difference but I didn't dare bring it up to Bill. I got the feeling he was already suspicious about it all and between Eric saying nothing and what Loki had told me, I thought the less people that knew, the better. I put my empty cup on the arm of the swing.

Suddenly Bill grabbed me, his fingers biting into my arms, I heard the cup fall and break behind me as he pulled me towards him. I was scared for a moment but only his lips attacked. There was an urgency in them and I knew his anger was still simmering as well. Though I didn't respond, I also didn't bother fighting him. A part of me remembered happier days with Bill and didn't mind giving him something he seemed to need so badly. Or at least a part of me was so used to kissing Bill it seemed 'normal.' But even as I let him kiss me, my mind was questioning why.

At first he kept his grip on my arms to hold me in place, once he was satisfied I wasn't going anywhere his hands started to move around my back. They pulled at me as if he was hoping to pull me in so close I'd be entirely absorbed into his body. My arms were tucked in and trapped between us, my hands pressed flat against his chest.

There was still that bit inside me that couldn't go along with it so after a moment I tried to push him away. It took a few tries before he realised but when he did, he tensely forced his lips from mine. I could see it took him some effort and he wasn't happy when he pulled back to look at me.

"We can't, Bill," I said as gently as I could since he was so tense. "Everyone will be here soon and …" Even if I _had_ wanted to kiss him, I couldn't have half the supes in the area turn up to find Bill pounding me into the porch decking. Bill took several deep unnecessary breaths then lessened his hold on me.

I left Bill to calm down and returned to my prep work. As I went about the finishing touches I had a good long look at myself. I was worried I was becoming a bit of a kiss-slut. In just the past fortnight I'd kissed Pam, Eric, Loki and now Bill. OK, so Pam had been a combination of making a point and the mischief whammy, Eric was a reaction to the blood exchange – so he'd said anyway, Loki had kissed me more than I'd kissed him, and as for Bill, well, there wasn't exactly an option to say no to that kiss either. Still, all this kissing different people could not be a good thing, I needed to sort myself out.

The Pam thing was a one one time deal, no matter how many times she asked for a re-run, and besides Eric was working on some sort of 'kissing Sookie aversion therapy' for her. I was hoping I wouldn't see Loki again; I'd overheard, Sam say it wasn't safe for him to be around here. My shifter boss didn't seem to think his immortal grandsire would be back any time soon. (That was all I'd picked up from him, since the topic of Loki was off limits as part of the unspoken pact of unspoken things.)

Kissing Eric? Well that was an experience all of its own, one people would line up for if they knew … come to think of it some _did_ line up for it, or the chance of it at least. I shook that image off. Eric had made it clear he did not want to kiss me any more. Sure he'd initiated the kiss in the stock room at Fangtasia but he'd also been the one to pull away. He hadn't kissed me again after that, even when he'd had the chance. Then there was the sharing, when _I'd_ kissed _him_. He'd pulled away from that kiss too. I blanched as I suddenly looked at his words from a new perspective.

_ "Shhh, Sookie, it is just the blood, that is all." _

_ "I don't care," I said reaching for his lips again._

_ He pulled back again, this time keeping me pinned to the couch as he lifted his head from mine._

_ "It's the blood Sookie." _

Maybe he wasn't saying _I'd_ only kissed_ him_ because of the blood, maybe _he'd_ only responded because of the blood.

My inner child mentally ran to my bedroom and hid under the covers in shame, while adult me sliced the Virginia ham I'd bought. I'd decided to slice the whole thing in advance since Weres ate a lot and I didn't want there to be any need to get big knives out during the talks. No point inviting temptation. I continued to examine my behaviour as I plumped cushions, straightened furniture, put out napkins, wiped down surfaces and did all the other finishing touches.

Maybe I hadn't been fair to Bill. I didn't feel I could have a romantic relationship with him but I was still drawn to my ex, a lot. Maybe I even still loved him. I was also scared that he would hurt me again. Because I was so confused over what I wanted from him I hadn't said anything at all. I hadn't been straight with him. Perhaps in a way we had _both_ just been waiting for me to 'get over it.'

I went to my bedroom to put on the skirt suit that was hanging ready on the back of the door.

The pain I'd felt when Pam and Eric had told me Bill had been planning to leave me, that he'd been with another woman, it wasn't as fresh at it had been but the scar was still tender, it had a lot of healing left to do. However I still had this feeling that I needed Bill in my life, he was part and parcel of me now. Somewhere inside me, a securely locked door rattled and I pushed any further thoughts aside, focusing on getting ready instead.

I went out a while later to clean up the broken cup and see if Bill wanted more blood. He looked up at me as I approached and there was something apologetic in his gaze. I shrugged with a small half-smile to say 'forget about it' and sat next to him when he gestured I should. He took my hand as I sat and just held it for a moment. He was looking at me like I'd just burnt his house down by barbecuing in the stairwell.

"Sookie, are you … have you agreed to be his?" I thought I detected fear in Bill's voice, beneath the accusation.

"I'm his employee, his representative, we've already told you what we did and why," I said carefully, mindful of his mood. Bill nodded then gave a big sigh.

"I should have known he'd do something like this." He shook his head. "You need to be careful about taking Eric's blood." He spoke quietly and calmly to indicate this was about giving me some advice rather than anything to do with 'us'. "I had a reason for warning you against it," There was a slight chill to Bill's words. "It's like with family, blood recognises blood. You are more forgiving of your brother's defects than those of others are you not?" I felt protective at the word 'defects' and realised that was part of what Bill was saying. I nodded. "Having Eric's blood will make you feel that way towards him also. He will have more power, more influence over you. You will be more inclined to trust him, to accept his suggestions." The chill in his voice hit sub-zero and I felt the ice run down my spine. "Never forget how dangerous he is. He hasn't lasted as long as he has without putting himself first." He let the warning hang in the air for a moment before looking down and stroking my hand soothingly.

I considered what he was saying for a moment. I didn't want to be scared of Eric, it felt wrong, and I didn't think that was just because of the blood. "He's hardly the only person to put themselves first," I said softly.

"You don't," Bill countered lifting my hand to kiss it before returning it to his lap still enveloped in his. "And I … I would put you first Sookie," he lifted his eyes back to mine, his gaze deep. "If you'd let me. I would take care of you and put you above everything." He was so intense. I put my free hand on his cheek.

"I believe you," I said.

He smiled and started to lean forward but I held him in place with my hand still on his face. "I believe that in this moment you mean what you say. But you left me before, for Lorena, and even before that I had started to take second place to your work. You didn't put me first Bill. When it came to it, you didn't put me first at all." I wanted him to understand my problems with him were not about anyone else.

"Lorena was my maker," he objected, the anger creeping back into his voice.

"Yes and I understand that you had to do what she told you, but you didn't have to lie to me. You could have told me rather than planning to pension me off and pass me to Eric. That was your plan wasn't it? To give me to him, without even speaking to me." Bill's anger deflated before my eyes and he shifted uncomfortably.

The part about Eric had dug the knife in deep but I still felt those wounds myself and he needed to understand that. Besides I wasn't saying anything that wasn't true.

"I made mistakes, I admit that. I took you for granted. I won't make the same mistakes again," he insisted looking into my eyes with an open expression.

"I want to believe you Bill, I do," I said sadly. My life would be so much easier if Bill and I still had the relationship I'd thought we had. That feeling of finally finding the person for me. The way I'd felt when we'd first consummated our relationship. That surety of _knowing_ he loved me. Yes I wanted that back, who wouldn't, but it was gone, too much had happened and I was a different person now. Besides I hadn't overlooked that if it was true that Eric could use his blood to make me more trusting of him then it was true of Bill too. It would explain why I always felt so uncomfortable whenever Bill and I argued. I needed time to consider that when I wasn't about to put my house in the middle of a potential war.

"I'll make it up to you," he promised.

"We'll see." Like I said, I _wanted_ to believe. And now wasn't the time to fall out with him, there was about to be a sufficiency of high feeling on the Stackhouse property, I'd want every ally I could get. I let him brush his lips over mine. It wasn't even a kiss really, but the gesture was sweet.

"I'd better finish getting ready," I said pulling away. "Everyone will be arriving shortly. You'll need to give a drop of blood as part of the agreement not to hurt anyone inside my house while the meeting is taking place."

"I know, I had a text from Pam." Bill pulled a small knife from his pocket to show me he was prepared. I frowned at it but didn't say anything, he wouldn't be the only one to show up armed. He followed me to the door and peeped in at my prep, glancing around at the bits I'd set out for my guests, smiling as he eyed a doily.

[***]

A group of six witches arrived shortly after that. I'd half expected them to arrive on broom sticks but actually it was a shiny new BMW, a Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Kombi – yes that's right an honest-to-goodness hippy-van, painted with bright colours and everything. I scanned them all carefully. The leader, Patricia, was in the BMW with a youngish girl, I guess the witch business pays well. Trish was able to block me as she had before, the girl was running through ingredients and chants in her head making sure they had everything they needed.

The two in the Toyota were cautiously excited. They were not planning anything, their leader had told them they had a vested interest in these negotiations working. The driver of the 'lurv-bus' as he thought of it, was the only one, apart from Trish, to notice me in their head, rather than blocking me he used the opportunity to offer to 'show me his ride', quite graphically. Urk.

I gave him a frank look to show I was neither impressed nor scared off and didn't removed my focus from his thoughts. I was sure they realised I would check them out, for once I didn't feel rude for doing so. He smiled and apologised, also in his head, then let me see he intended no harm to anyone before shutting me out. He was concerned about this going well and wanted to do everything he could to help it work. I realised that the whole community would be affected, no matter what, if war broke out. It gave me an idea.

The witches came inside and worked their way around the inside of my house drawing small symbols on the walls. They all looked surprised at the drinks and nibbles set out but didn't comment. The young witch that had been in the BMW with Trish explained that their marks would wash off with soap and water after the spell dissolved but could not be removed before that, the magic would hold them in place.

Then they spread themselves around the outside of my house and chanted. Bill and I had to stand well outside of the circle they had formed and Trish made me assure her that there was no one else inside the space. (I understood why when I found the roasted 'possum under the edge of the porch a few days later.) I was only vaguely aware that Bill had slid his hand into mine as we stood under the trees and watched my house glow a pretty lilac colour. I wondered if the witches did Christmas decorations.

Once the chanting was complete each of the witches pricked a finger and pressed their blood onto a piece of parchment that Trish had held before her throughout the casting. The slight young witch that had travelled with her smiled, said goodbye to me and nodded to Bill. Then she walked into my house with 'Lurv-bus' man and threw a punch with a ferocity that didn't match her mousy demeanour. He caught her fist in his hand to protect himself and she promptly disappeared.

I was still in shock when Trish's cell phone rang a minute later. She spoke briefly into it then smiled at me.

"Your house is successfully warded," she announced proudly.

"Oh," I blinked, still catching up. I gave myself a mental slap. "Sorry, that was a bit of a surprise that's all. Thank you so much for doing this, I'm really grateful." I gave them all a warm smile.

"Well the vampire is paying us for our services and you have asked for help keeping balance and peace, this is something we are called to do as part of our faith," Trish said seriously. I could detect none of the excitement the younger witches seemed to exhibit, she truly felt a calling and saw it as her duty to follow it.

"Please won't you come in and have a drink?" She had already told me they would be staying throughout to ensure the ward held. If it started to fail she would be able to warn us before anyone was able to harm anyone else.

Bill and I added our blood to the parchment and we all went inside. The season was starting to warm up and it was no longer just vampires that liked to sneak up for a bite after dusk. I'd sprayed some Yard Guard near the front door, knowing there would be a lot of people in and out giving the bugs chance to sneak in too. I wondered if the spell would prevent a mosquito bite and if it did, where 'home' was that the skeeter in question would be sent.

Sam was the next to arrive and surprised me by showing up with Tray.

"I've invited Calvin too," he informed me after giving his drop of blood. "He called me to ask what was happening and wanted to come, I hope it's OK." I was surprised that Sam hadn't mentioned it earlier, especially since he'd not wanted to be directly involved with the negotiations between the Weres and vampires, but I didn't mind. I'd already been thinking that we should involve as many different groups as possible and I was hoping Calvin might have word from Jason.

I reassured Sam, sharing the thoughts I'd had when listening to the witches earlier.

"Actually I was just thinking, perhaps this truce should include more than just the Weres and the Vampires. Several witches got hurt by those were-witches, and they knew what was happening before everyone else. If we had closer ties, shared information, it would be safer for everyone. The Fellowship is a common enemy for starters, I read in the paper last week that those sick bastards burnt a couple of witches." Nothing got my back up like the Fellowship did. Having witnessed their 'work' first hand, my blood boiled whenever I thought about them.

I turned as Trish spoke, embarrassed that I hadn't realised she was behind me, however she was smiling with approval. "They weren't witches. One was a faith healer that spoke out against the Fellowship and the other was just a batty old lady that shunned society. I checked with the coven from that area, they were not even Wiccans. But you're right, we have some common interests and where those are concerned we are all better off if we are in accord. At the very least an agreement not to harm each other would be a comfort. I was concerned that the vampires would come after us all because of Hallow. We were glad for a chance to stand against her instead." She had one of those steady voices, slow even by southern standards, that exuded confidence and calm.

Sam and Trish continued to discuss supe issues but I was drawn away by the sound of wheels on gravel. With all these people using my drive I was grateful once again for Eric's gift of having it fixed. I'd have been _so_ embarrassed to have them all here if they'd had to negotiate the pot-holes I used to have.

The trucks that arrived next contained a lot of Weres and I joined the two witches that were waiting on the porch with the parchment. I could tell Patrick was pleased with the number of witches and Sam's presence, though the Were didn't say anything to _me_ and held himself aloof to signal his authority, only speaking quietly to a couple of Weres that stayed by his side.

The rest stood in small groups throughout my living room looking awkward and giving side glances towards Bill who was standing alone in a corner until Sam took pity on him and started up a conversation about some of the Merlotte's regulars. I'd purposely been working my way around, welcoming everyone, making sure they all had a drink, and not standing with Bill because I didn't want the visual suggestion I sided with the vampires. My neutrality was the reason for doing this at my house.

My nerves were taking a momentary break, allowing me to feel calmer, when Bill caught my eye a while later. In the next heartbeat all the Weres stiffened and then tires could be heard turning into my drive. I went to the front door again to join the two witches on blood-signing duty. This time Trish came out also. In accordance with my agreement with Eric, I had rescinded the invitation of all vampires until after they had made the oath. Three cars pulled up, Eric and Pam were in his Corvette and there were more vampires in the two other cars. I recognised them from Fangtasia but only knew Maxwell to speak to. I was glad they had not brought Clancy, since the Were-witches had nearly drained him he'd taken to looking at me like I was an unappetising snack.

Eric unfolded himself smoothly and I struggled not to drool, especially when he bent over to grab a folder of papers from inside the car. Both he and Pam were in business suits. Hers had a black pencil skirt, a slight ruffle to the lapels and was worn with a pink blouse. His was charcoal grey and so perfectly cut to fit him that I had a very vivid flashback to the Eric full-monty. How did a man so fully covered manage to make you think of nothing but him naked? He wasn't wearing a tie and the top button of his blue shirt was undone making the outfit just a smidge more casual than when he'd come to get me out of prison. It somehow gave the impression of _accidentally_ imposing but I didn't fool myself that there was anything accidental about it.

Eric looked over the house as if he could see the magic on it, then nodded to Trisha and myself as they approached. Each vampire pierced their finger on a fang and pressed their blood into the agreement then I invited them in. Pam went first, flashing me a small fangy smile as she passed close to me, then Eric, then the rest. Once they were all done I took a few deep breaths, resisting the urge to run off up my drive and never look back, before entering my house.

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Yes, yes, I know – icky Billness, sorry about that. So next chapter – negotiations begin, I'll try to get it up soon. The next few chapters are close to finished but lots to do polishing up the rest of the story. Love and hugs to everyone xx


	32. All The Telepath's Men

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

******Huge shout out to the amazing treewitch703, much love as always, xx.**

* * *

**Chapter 32: All The Telepath's Men.**

**Dating Don't: Don't be surprised, when trying to provoke a reaction, if the one you get is not the one you were after. **

_Were's to the left of me, Vampire's to the right, here __I__ am, Sook in the middle __…'_

The variation on the Stealers Wheel* song lyrics drifting through my mind petered off since there was no 'with'. I felt very much alone as I stood between the clearly drawn lines in my living room. Eric and Patrick, each with their deputy, faced each other across the width of the room. The rest of their coterie clustered defensively around them. No one spoke or even moved as they looked at each other stone faced. The witches, Sam, and Tray hovered in no-man's land, trying to remain neutral.

The Weres were dressed in sturdy leathers, emblazoned with their pack colours, ready to rumble. I knew that every one of them carried a silver knife and that they were all on alert, their magic coiled within them ready to pop out like a nightmare jack-in-the-box if the gears of the truce were turned passed the trigger of their aggression.

The vampires, though all dressed in suits rather than 'fighting' gear, shimmered with menace. Their faces were the blank vampire masks that give nothing away. If you gave them all sunglasses and a holster bump under their jacket you'd think the mob had come to visit, or do I mean FBI agents? Well they looked threatening and closed off anyway.

Even the witches looked guarded and serious. Trish's confident stance told me at the very least they could protect themselves if all hell broke loose. I hoped she'd cover Sam and Tray too if that were to happen.

"Can I take anyone's coat?" I asked in my best hostess voice, my tension smile pulling at my lips. Nobody moved or responded. My lips stretched a bit further and I clasped my hands together to stop myself pulling at my hair. "So, thank you all for coming, I'm so pleased you all could …" I chattered on, introducing everyone and offering True Blood to the vampires and to refresh the drinks of everyone else and telling those who ate that they could help themselves to the food and did everyone know where the facilities were and did anyone need anything.

Eventually I ran out of things to say and do. They were all still standing in chilling silence, only now they were staring at me instead of each other. The only person _not_ looking at me was a young Were that Patrick had ordered, loudly, to check the room for anything suspicious. (He didn't trust me much more than he trusted the vamps, he'd been talked into this meeting by the rest of his pack.)

I wasn't sure where to look. They were all staring at me like I was the Emperor displaying his new clothes: they wanted to laugh but were not sure if it was safe to, or even if it was actually funny. For some reason I was holding my breath, though I'm not sure what good I thought that would do. Maybe I was just hoping to pass out so I wouldn't have to deal with the impending destruction of my house - again.

Darkness was creeping in from my peripheral vision and I was starting to feel light-headed. Distantly I was aware Eric's look had become more 'curiously concerned' than 'what the fuck', when suddenly a loud wolf-whistle came from the young Were. My head snapped to face his direction as air rushed into my lungs in a gasp. Several other people jumped as well and everyone looked at him. He didn't seem to notice as he was too distracted. He had been moseying over my bookshelves.

"Damn, perhaps I should take up reading," he said turning round with a book in his hand.

I wanted Gran's rug to open up and swallow me as I realised what he was holding. I kept my eyes averted from Bill and tried desperately to think of a way to either run away or hide the book, preferably both.

Alcide went over to the young Were and took the item from his hand. He licked his lips as he gave the cover a comprehensive look.

"Damn Sook, when did you do this? Who is that you're riding?" I could have slapped Alcide for his word choice.

Before I could answer several others, vampire and Were, were crowded round in a group passing the book around. They all laughed together and made a series of lewd comments while I skulked off to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of tea, not particularly bothered in that moment if they killed each other in my absence. It took a good few minutes of trying not to listen to the guffawing coming from my living room before I was able to get my knees to stop shaking and the blood to retreat from my face. Thankfully no one followed me and I was allowed that time to pull myself together.

Even after I could move, I pottered around, tidying and staying out of the way. Eventually I knew I had to go back and check on my guests. To my amazement the various supes seemed to be standing in mixed groups talking happily enough. As I emerged I even saw a Were pass a bottle of blood to a vamp who had left it sitting on the side at some earlier point. (I was pleased to note he'd used a coaster too.)

There seemed to be a lot more people in my living room than there had been. The book lay forgotten on the coffee table and I resisted the urge to throw it on the fire and light it as I took in the extra faces. Most were unfamiliar but I recognised the brain signatures, they were were-panthers. I looked for Calvin. He was standing in a corner talking to Sam with a man I didn't recognise. I smiled in welcome and started to make my way over.

The man next to Calvin turned and flung out his arms. I shrieked loudly making everyone freeze and look at me, then I jumped on my brother.

"Jason, what are you doing here? Are you all right? Where have you been? How have you been? Are you back? What's been happening?" I rushed out, ignoring the sniggers from the gathered supes.

"Geez Sook, it's good to see you. Sorry about having to take off but it was for the best," he said hugging me so hard I thought he was going to crack a rib. I didn't care, I clung to him too. In fact it was him that eventually said: "Ow, calm down Sook. You been working out or what?"

I let go and pulled back so I could look at him. I had a grin from ear to ear. He'd changed his hair and looked a little thinner but much more tanned and over-all perfectly healthy. The various groups had returned to their own conversations and everyone seemed happy for the moment. I looked at Sam but he seemed to be saying leave them to it. Maybe he was right. The more they realised they could get along, the easier it would be when they did start talking about the tough stuff. I pulled my brother by the hand and headed into my bedroom for some privacy. Turning to smile at Calvin as I went, I mouthed _thank you _and he smiled kindly back.

I marvelled at how great it was to see my brother while he told me about a bunch of initiation rights he'd gone through with the pack he was staying with and how much he'd learnt and how he and Crystal were getting on really well still, which seemed as much a surprise to him as to me. He was still telling me about this run he'd gone on where he'd been the first to snag some prey when Trish knocked on the open bedroom door. I hadn't wanted to close it in case anyone needed anything. As much as I wanted to talk to my brother I couldn't forget I had other guests – at least that had been my plan when I left the door open. Trish's arrival reminded me how rude I was being

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, I just wondered if you had another tea-pot I could use for some herbal tea for my group." She gave me a look that made me wonder how much the interruption was about tea and how much about reminding me why we were all here.

"Of course, I'm so sorry, how rude of me. It's just I haven't seen my brother in a while and … I'll get you one." I smiled at Jason again. "I should get back," I apologised.

"No worries Sook, we can catch up later." He headed out with us and joined the panthers again. Most people were mingling and chatting which was good but it wasn't achieving anything. I went first to the kitchen to get out a tea pot for Trish then did a circuit of the room gauging the best way to move towards the more formal part of the meeting.

I had all my shields completely down. With most people being supes it wasn't as bad as it might have been but it was still like being in a bar where the music is that bit too loud to be comfortable. I longed for peace or even a momentary decrease in volume, like when you go to the bathroom and shut the door with a sigh, dimming the noise for a moment. I could have shielded easily, another side-effect of my recent Eric-o-fusion, but it was my job to be on the alert.

There was a bit of suspicion and a dab of caution coming from some of the weres but they were not hostile, just prepared. A group of the younger weres and a couple of Eric's vamps were even ribbing each other about the pros and cons of their various supe abilities but Pam and the guy I'd identified as Patrick's second were keeping an eye on it and it seemed friendly enough.

Suddenly I picked up panic from the one person who's mind I had been tracking subconsciously. I followed the brain signature at a run, going out the back door to find my brother pinned to the outside wall of my house, high enough to be on tiptoes, with a very fangy and pissed off vampire glaring at him. Jason was spluttering and clawing at the cold dead hand that gripped him but it made no difference.

"Eric put him down," I demanded rushing towards them. Calvin and Alcide had been talking just inside the kitchen and rushed out at my yell. The air shimmered around them as they took in the scene. They looked more feral but didn't change. Eric paid them no mind. He didn't take his eyes off Jason as he spoke to me.

"He has a lot to answer for."

"He's my brother." I pulled on Eric's arm with both hands, which of course had no effect whatsoever.

"And you are my charge, which makes your concerns my concerns. He owes you and I intend to make sure he pays. One way or another." The redness that had been colouring Jason's face drained away and he went white.

"Damn it Eric, that is between me and Jason." I pulled on his arm again which he still didn't seem to notice but he did turn his head to give me his raised eyebrow look.

"Due to subsequent events, I am involved now too. I have had to clear up the mess he left."

It was true that, in a roundabout way, I would probably not be in the mess I was in if Jason hadn't jumped his bail but I didn't hold him responsible. He wasn't to know what would happen. I knew that argument wouldn't work with Eric though so I picked another one.

"I remember an incident where one of your vampires messed up," I was thinking of Chow eating the witch which had led to Eric's amnesia. "And because of that I had to help you out – does that give me the right to take one of your vampires to task?" Eric froze for a long moment. I began to worry he'd stay like that and Jason would die from lack of oxygen before Eric came up with a response.

I realised Eric might take offence that I'd used a memory that he didn't have, though I was sure he knew what I was talking about. Even so, I thought it was the best approach to get through to him. I hadn't wanted to describe Chow's mistake in more detail but as the seconds ticked by I was beginning to think I might need to. Then Eric moved slightly. He turned his head to look back at my brother who had stopped struggling. A moment later Eric opened his hand and Jason slid down the wall. He was rubbing his throat and gasping for air but obviously going to be OK. Eric looked ever-so-slightly sulky which meant he'd conceded to my point.

I forced my crazy smile onto my face and turned to Calvin and Alcide who had been joined by quite a few others, many of whom were looking at me like I'd just grown horns. I ignored the looks and kept it chirpy.

"I apologise everyone. This is a private family matter. Eric was just trying to stand up for me, as a friend," I acknowledged. "If everyone had stayed inside like they were supposed to," I looked at my brother who managed to look sheepish for about half a second, "it wouldn't have happened at all." Most took the hint and those at the back started moving inside, freeing space for the rest to follow.

"What subsequent events?" asked Calvin with concern. He was looking at Eric. I was amazed he didn't know but I stepped in to answer him before the vampire could.

"It's nothing …" Eric glared at me, " … nothing that should be discussed right now," I said firmly then lightened my voice and spoke more generally. "I made a Pecan Pie, who would like some?" Jason practically started slobbering. He seemed to have forgotten being almost throttled already, though I could still see the marks from Eric's fingers round his throat.

"Gran's recipe?" My brother enthused.

"Of course." Jason was already leading the remaining two weres into the house. They seemed satisfied that the matter was resolved, though I knew different. I turned to the only person left on the back porch with me, maintaining with difficulty my hostess persona. "Eric can I get you another blood?" He gave me a look that somehow managed to convey that he was exasperated I was letting Jason off the hook, mad that I had overruled him and yet impressed that I had smoothed everything over with the weres. I suspected I would hear more on all of this later.

All the weres seemed to be regarding me with a little more respect when I went back inside. Though it took the carefully blank faces of the vampires and a wink from Sam for me to figure it out. I had gotten Eric to change his mind about something. He had listened to my argument and changed his approach in response. Eric had a reputation of listening to no one's council but his own. Though I suspected he listened to Pam more than he let on, even to her.

I took a beer out of the fridge, opened it and headed over to Sam. We didn't talk, I just leaned against the wall next to him, my arm pressed against his and looked round the room. Eric was in intense conversation with Pam. I got the distinct impression he was telling her off about something. He looked calm enough but the look on her face was the one she often got when she was unrepentant over something he was unhappy about. The snatch of their conversation I heard was in another language so it could be about anything. Eric and Patrick were the only two that hadn't really mixed. They were busy watching everyone else and each other.

I decided it was time to get talking. I grabbed Bill and got him to help me bring out the extra chairs I'd borrowed from Sam so everyone could sit. Eric was returning a book to my shelf as I put them out and I could tell he wanted to stay standing. I gave him a firm look, it wouldn't help to have him using his lofty height to intimidate people further, he was intimidating enough while he was sitting.

I'd moved all the furniture to the edges of the room earlier in the day in preparation. Bill and I set the chairs in an informal, several deep, rough circle which gave the gathering the feel of an AA meeting. I made a point of saying that we were here to discuss some issues that affected _everyone_ and smiled at Calvin and Trish in particular to include them. Both Patrick and Eric seemed to accept this easily enough.

It was stilted at first but slowly the talk got going. They discussed the recent deaths and everyone agreed there had been faults on both sides and that they would have handled the situations differently and with hopefully better results. A few minor issues were dealt with quite simply and some bigger issues deliberately put aside for the moment.

Everyone seemed to agree with me that the two main trouble makers were basically crazy and should be avoided. There was a lot of laughter when Alcide repeated the names I'd given them of Sir Wolfy Bites-a-lot and Fangy McVampire. Eric caught my eye as he laughed. I'd never said the names to him as I tended to try and stay in work mode when discussing the situation with him. Weres prefer a more informal approach but I didn't think Eric would approve of me mocking a vampire, even a crazy were-slave keeping one, and I wasn't prepared to do one-sided mocking. As far as I was concerned each was as nuts as the other.

Anyway the names were a big hit and quickly became the way the figureheads were referred to whenever their names came up. Every now and then I had to step in when someone worded a comment rudely or offensively. And once or twice, when I was being talked over, Sam backed me up, though mostly he sat back in silence keeping himself out of it. Other than to support me he didn't offer an opinion on anything. Surprisingly, Patrick and Eric agreed on a couple of important points which made us all think there was a real chance this could work.

After a couple of hours I suggested we leave it for tonight and arrange to talk again the next night. Because of what was happening outside our community we had to move fast but most of the weres had to work in the morning and it was already late. I got up to get everyone a last drink as people stretched and chatted quietly with their neighbours.

When I came back in I could see Eric and Calvin in quiet discussion. I suspected Eric was telling Calvin about my problems with the police but I was unable to get close enough to find out for sure. Before I could work my way over, Jason grabbed my hand and pulled me into the corner of the room.

"Look Sook, I wanted to ask you. There is this amazing annual run among the panthers and this year they are going to Payette National Forest. I've been working at this place near where I stay but it's under the table stuff because I can't use my name so it doesn't pay that well. And well, it would be really good for me and Crystal if we could go, I think she might be the one, I really do but we need to get away to be sure. So I was wondering, since you've got this flash new job and all, if you could …"

Silence descended round the room and every pair of eyes was on me after I slapped my brother, hard enough to knock his head into the wall. I felt woozy for a second and it seemed like the lights flashed as everything went dark briefly but no one had moved when they came back on.

Aware of the scrutiny I was under I fought to get the anger that had flared back under control. Jason looked dazed, as if he was trying to figure out what just happened. His bewilderment nearly set me off again. I hadn't blamed him for skipping his bail but I did think that when I saw him again he'd apologise about the money I lost, that he'd offer to pay me back somehow, when he could. I could see now that it hadn't even occurred to him. My hands fisted but I kept them locked at my sides, aware of our audience.

Eric's eyes were blazing but he was pretty much the only one not looking at me. He was looking at Jason. Most of the younger weres just looked thunderstruck and stood with their mouths partly open. The vampires ranged from curious to amused (Pam). Patrick had narrowed his eyes and looked calculating. Most of the witches were looking at Trish, who looked braced. (Lurv-van man was looking at me with renewed interest, I got the feeling another invite to 'experience' his shaggin'-wagon' was on the cards.)

The silence stretched out.

Suddenly Sam forced a laugh.

"Sookie signed the agreement, but she's already home! The spell just dropped her right back where she was." I realised the lights hadn't gone out, I'd been 'removed' momentarily by the spell and then sent 'home' which just happened to be the same place I already was. Which meant there was giant flaw in our security measures that hadn't previously occurred to anyone. I could still hurt people inside my house. My hands flew over my face and I peeped through my fingers to glance around apologetically. The scrutiny on me had stopped though. Most people seemed to be looking at everyone else waiting to see how they reacted. Alcide and Eric made eye contact. Eric's lip twitched. Alcide made a slight choking sound. Jason was still looking at me in shock and rubbing his cheek as most everyone else started to laugh. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Before Jason could let loose at me, Calvin came over and grabbed him. I opened my mouth to protest but Calvin assured me they would both be back tomorrow then pulled my brother from the house. I felt someone behind me as I watched them go.

"Are you all right?" Bill asked me quietly.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, I was avoiding looking at Eric, I suspected there'd be an 'I told you so' look on his face.

"I think there is still some tea in the kitchen, come and sit down, Sam will deal with the others." Bill indicated with his hand I should go through. I smiled at him.

"Tea would be good." Most people had resumed whatever conversation they were having before the interruption but a couple of the weres backed off theatrically, hands raised in submission, as I passed. I blushed and moved more quickly, leaving laughter behind me.

When I got into the kitchen Trish was heating some water.

"Let me make you some camomile, it is nice and relaxing and can help settle the stomach," she said kindly. "The spell can be disorienting, even if you know what to expect."

"Thank you for all your help tonight. We will have to think of a way to make sure I'm covered by the magic as well or it isn't fair." I said to her, still recovering from the thought that I could have destroyed the whole treaty process just because I got mad at Jason.

"I think you will be fine, it is thanks to you we are all here at all, and you have put yourself out there to achieve it." As before, Trish's voice calmed me.

"Well it's my job, Eric pays me." I'd tried to make sure everyone knew that, I didn't want people to think I was hiding anything.

"Yes, but your goal is to prevent a war, not to do as your boss asks you, and everyone knows it. If Mr Northman asked you to do something underhand or even just walk away you would refuse."

"Yes I would." I wondered how she knew that. One of the things that I had insisted on was that they all called each other by their names, rather than 'dog' or 'deader'. I hoped it would become the norm. There had been a few slips but they apologised (to me not each other) when it happened.

The key people agreed to meet back at my house again the next night from eight to ten which would cut less into everyone's other responsibilities. Tomorrow would be more formal. Only a couple of representatives from each group would attend and a proper meeting would be held. They would each come with their demands and we would try to hash it out.

[~~~]

Patrick caused a ruckus on Tuesday night resulting in everyone walking away from the table. It wasn't actually during the negotiations that it happened. It was during a break. And it was over me. Until I reflected on it the next day I hadn't registered that throughout the talks I hadn't once had a conversation with Patrick until that point. I had spoken to Alcide and he had spoken to Patrick when we were first getting people together and once the meetings started it just never seemed to happen. Then I had found myself alone in the kitchen with him.

I automatically felt uncomfortable. We hadn't gotten on anyway but since I'd outed him for cheating at the pack-master contest I figured it was safe to say we were never going to be best-buds. His first words surprised me, though there was something aggressive in his thoughts that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"It seems I misjudged you Miss Stackhouse." He was moving towards me slowly and I turned from the sink where I was rinsing out some True Blood bottles.

"Excuse me?" I asked, unsure what he was referring to.

"I thought you were simply a women using her wiles to her advantage, making the most of Calvin and Alcide's attentions." I glared at him. "But I see now that I was wrong," he went on, stopping before me, closer than I would have liked.

"Yes you were," I said firmly. Somehow I wasn't reassured by his admission. Rightly so as it turned out.

"You are much more clever than that," he continued after a pause. I narrowed my eyes at him, I didn't like what he was implying but I couldn't accuse him of anything and risk upsetting the talks so I stayed silent. "I am starting to understand what they see in you." He took another step closer and I moved back so I was pressed against the sink. "Northman is a sly one, slipping you into all the other camps while he pulls your strings." I forced myself to stay calm.

"Eric isn't pulling my strings. I work for him, something I have been very open about from the start, but that is all." His smile gave me the creeps.

"So you still belong to no one?"

"I belong to myself." I was thinking of getting that tattooed on my forehead.

"That doesn't protect you."

He was suddenly very close to me, his breath fanning over my face. "I can offer you full protection." Patrick ran his eyes over me, there was nothing seductive about his approach. "But I am not the sharing type you find Northman. And I will expect my payment up front …" He suddenly reached out to brush the back of his hand over a breast and simultaneously sent me a clear image of exactly what payment he'd expect. I flinched back from his touch and my stomach turned in disgust.

There was an apple corer on the draining board from the pie I'd made earlier in the day, it was very temping to grab it and take out a big chunk of Were, there was a part of me that felt Patrick would be greatly improved by a slight killing. On the other hand, it wasn't the first unpalatable come-on I'd ever dealt with and it wasn't important enough to risk the whole process over, there were bigger things at stake. But it wasn't any of that that stayed my hand, I was picking up something from Patrick, it was anticipatory and underhand. I just knew he wanted me to react violently and I hadn't the slightest intention of giving him the satisfaction.

That didn't mean I was planning to just let it slide, luckily one real advantage to being a telepath in these situations, (even if it meant sometimes getting visuals that made you want to bleach your brain) is that people couldn't help but give themselves away. For example, when imagining sex, men always flashed on their doubts. Patrick had just accidentally told me all his deepest darkest fears when it came to his own sexual performance.

Unfortunately, before I could retaliate with some carefully worded comments that would make him think someone had been talking, the room around us became crowded as everyone seemed to appear at once.

The pack-master stepped back from me. There was something triumphant radiating from him.

"Patrick?" Alcide growled.

"Miss Stackhouse is quite the hostess. It seems she is willing to ensure _all_ her guests needs are met," said the Were, glaring at me in challenge. I heard the double meaning in his words, that I was meeting 'all the needs' of 'all the guests' and I realised where this was going. I said nothing for a long moment. The tension in my now very cramped kitchen was notching up by the second. I scrambled my brain trying to think of a way to salvage the situation.

"You give me far too much credit Mr Furnan." My voice was its sweetest country hostess, a little too much so to be sincere, before I switched to my business tone as if nothing had happened at all. "We should get back to work, there are still a lot of issues to cover." I was hoping I could avoid the impending confrontation through pure bravado. Flushing red at my unflinching response, Patrick looked angry and disappointed, however my flare of triumph was brief.

"There is an issue to cover right here," said Eric. Obviously I was the only one willing to let this go. Everyone else was still glaring. Eric turned to look at Trish. "It seems there is a flaw in our security." Trish didn't say anything but from what I could tell it was because she was too angry to speak.

Patrick, having gotten a response after all, was having a grand old time.

"I cannot see why it is a problem for me to enjoy the pleasures of Miss Stackhouse, everyone else here has." Eric and Bill growled, Sam opened in his mouth in protest and Alcide looked at Patrick in furious shock. The older Were wasn't done yet, now he had a responsive audience he was going to deliver all his lines with gusto. "If the _great_ Northman is prepared to whore out his pet for …"

"Bill," Eric interrupted. The Weres turned to look at Bill who nodded and Eric broke Patrick's arm before promptly disappearing with a poof. Bill was beside me in the same instant standing between me and Patrick who was now on the floor howling.

We had discussed the problem of the brief pause between when someone tried to attack and when they disappeared, it was unavoidable as the magic was reactive. Surprisingly both the Weres and the vamps had been unconcerned about it, they all planned to be on high alert throughout the negotiations and didn't expect to be caught unawares.

Since they'd all be on guard, no one would have time to do any serious damage before the magic kicked in, that was good enough for them. But the Weres had thought Eric was ordering Bill to attack, they never dreamed he'd risk the magic himself, so it was Bill they were on guard against allowing Eric his revenge before he succumbed to the spell. The air smelled of ozone like after lightning has struck. Everyone but the moaning pack-master was silent for a full minute.

"Well I guess we're done here," said Calvin first. He grabbed his notes and, scooping up his contingent, walked out the house without another word. My brother glanced back at me but one of the other panthers had hold of him and pulled him along. (Jason hadn't been part of the talks but Calvin had brought him along so we might have a chance to spend more time together. That hadn't happened and now it looked like it wouldn't.) Alcide wouldn't even look at me as he came forward to help Patrick up. Though I did hear him growl at the older Were, "_not another word,"_ as he helped him out the house. Trish and her second left too, her jaw still tight with anger. She hadn't looked at anyone, not even the other witch. Soon the only people left in my kitchen were Sam, Bill and me. I looked at my feet and felt angry tears rim my eyes.

It was true that Calvin, Alcide, Sam, Bill and Eric had all shown an interest in me at one point or another but they were also the only men to have ever shown an interest in me my whole life and each situation was different.

"Maybe doing this at my house wasn't such a good idea after all," I sniffed.

"Are you all right?" Bill asked lifting my face with a gentle hand. I nodded as well as I could with his finger hooked under my chin. "Unfortunately repulsive attempts at grab-ass are not a new experience for me, it's fine. We should check on Eric, make sure the spell worked like it was supposed to and he was just sent home," I said changing the subject from the part that made my skin crawl. Bill nodded and handed me my phone, officially he still didn't have Eric's mobile number, though I knew he'd memorised it after seeing it in my wallet. I put the number on the screen, handed the phone back to Bill then walked outside. My house felt claustrophobic.

Sam followed me out.

"It wasn't really about you. He was just trying to get you to hit him. Because he knew you would not be sent elsewhere even if you attacked someone, he wanted to make it seem like you were biased against the Weres. Then he could ask for concessions in his favour to even things out. I don't think he thought that Eric might be the one to retaliate. He should have known no one calls Northman a pimp and gets away with it."

"So he wanted to stop the treaty?"

"No, he wanted to put the proceedings on his terms. He knows how important these negotiations are, for everyone, and that even after tonight they will try to make a deal. He wants his power recognised. If Eric or one of his staff are forced to apologise to him it will give him the upper hand."

"So it was just part of some strategy?" I was glad everyone had been there to see what happened, at least Eric or me couldn't be blamed even if Eric had been the one to activate the ward.

"Yes." Weirdly this did make me feel better, though I couldn't tell you why. I could hear the noises of the forest picking back up now the supes had mostly gone. They always quietened while everyone was arriving and leaving. Then I remembered the other faces in the room and my heart dropped again.

"What about Calvin and Alcide? They wouldn't look at me." I hung my head and Sam put an arm over my shoulders.

"They were embarrassed. Patrick chose his subject well. Propositioning is not an act of violence which is why he could try it even with the oath, but additionally Calvin and Alcide cannot automatically side with Eric as it will look like they are doing it over a girl – over you." I went to object but Sam continued. "That wouldn't be their reason, Patrick isn't popular, and becoming less so as time goes on, but he would be able to spin it that way, making them seem weak." I thought about this for a moment. Patrick had known the others would not want to side with him so he picked a subject where they couldn't side against him.

I chewed on my nails, I wasn't sure I was convinced. Sam seemed to know what I was thinking.

"Sookie, Calvin has to be especially careful right now. Standing up for Jason caused a lot of upset in the pack, especially after Felton was … well that was over Jason too and some pack members felt that Jason was getting special treatment because he was your brother. They thought Calvin was putting his … personal interests," I could tell Sam was really struggling to find the right words and not upset me further, "before the interests of the pack."

"That's stupid, Calvin would never do that," I protested. Even any interest he'd had in me was more about the good of them all than personal preference.

"Of course he wouldn't but he also wanted there to be no reason for the police to tie your brother to Hotshot so he has kept his distance from you. Until Eric told him last night, he knew nothing of _your_ problems with the police or the financial difficulties you've had. He was working so hard keeping Jason alive and convincing the others this was a pack decision and not about you, that he didn't register you'd lost the bail money. He's furious about the whole thing, but to protect you and Jason from disgruntled pack members he must continue to distance himself. Patrick may well have some idea of all this, rumours get out, even from Hotshot occasionally."

Sam explained that when I'd called Calvin and threatened to call the police if he didn't call me back about Jason, I had accidentally helped Calvin's argument that it was in the pack's interest to keep Jason safe. My 'threat' convinced the rest of the pack that I would cause problems for them if anything happened to my brother. It had also been the only reason he'd been able to call me back without creating waves among his weres.

"So what happens now?" I asked when I had gotten my head around it all.

"They'll make the deal. It might take a couple of days – or longer since they'll have to wait until Patrick's arm heals. Eric broke the hand too, the one Patrick writes with, to make his point." Sam was repressing a smile, he didn't like it when he agreed with Eric but it seemed to be happening more and more.

"What point?"

"Patrick was hoping to prove that they needed him to make the deal and therefore give himself power to make additional demands. Eric circumvented that by pointing out that he could and would kill Patrick rather than make a deal that was unpalatable to him, whatever the consequences."

"What are the consequences though? How will they still make a deal?" I still didn't understand why it was so hard for supes to just say all this to each other rather that all the big violent power plays.

"Calvin couldn't side with Eric in an argument that was ostensibly over your honour, and Eric's since Patrick insulted him too, but he doesn't want to side with Patrick either. So he walked out silent. He'll be trying to come up with another reason to side with Eric, one that can't be questioned. Alcide has to follow Patrick, he's his pack-master, but he has his own following within the pack and it is growing since Patrick keeps throwing his weight around. If Patrick takes it too far he'll lose the pack to Alcide, Alcide will make sure he knows this to get him to return to negotiations."

"What about Trish? I couldn't read her at all, except that she was angry." I didn't even know who she was angry at, I was worried it was me.

"I don't know for sure, but I think she was angry that Patrick was able to assault you while you should have been protected by her spell. It will be something as simple as she used the term 'violence' rather than 'aggression.' or 'strike' in the casting, giving him a loophole. I think she was angry at herself." I nodded. Sam explanation fitted with what I knew of the head witch. She could clearly be a force to be reckoned with if provoked but mostly she was about care and protection.

Bill came outside. He stood the other side of me to Sam and we all looked out into the trees for a while. Sam's arm was still around me and I rested my head on his shoulder feeling exhausted from the tension.

"Eric is fine. The spell worked as it should," Bill said quietly when no one else spoke. He smiled warmly at me and despite the cluster fuck the talks were now in I felt at least one small part of my life was moving in the right direction. Bill and I would be OK, even if it was just as friends. I needed him in my life. In the long run, we would be OK. "Sam, I will stay here until dawn, will you stay during the day? Eric does not want Sookie to be alone in case Patrick decides to take things further." I noticed I wasn't getting a say in this.

"Of course, I had already planned to stay."

"What about the bar?" I asked, I hated that I'd caused all these problems. I still thought I should have been able to prevent it. If I'd handled the thing with Patrick differently, if I hadn't let him corner me …

"I call Terry, he'll cover." Sam gave me a squeeze.

I rubbed my face. "We have to start thinking of ways to get everyone back to talking."

"You need to rest," said Bill quite firmly.

"Maybe if I offered some really good food they'd at least come to eat. I could ask old Mrs Bellefleur for one of her chocolate cakes – you remember Bill? She said if we needed anything we could ask, after we helped Andy out." I suspected my brain was not functioning properly as I was proposing a chocolate cake as a solution for a bunch of political issues between four different groups, one of whom couldn't even eat it. Still it seemed like the best suggestion I had at that point. I really wished Eric hadn't just been flung across the county, I could use a bit of that blood-whatsit calming-thingamabob about now.

"Sookie, go run yourself a nice bath, relax with one of those trashy romances you like so much while Sam and I clean up," said Bill, nudging me in the small of the back to get me moving.

Suddenly the thought of a deep hot bubble bath was the most appealing thing I could think of, even more appealing that Mrs Bellefleur's chocolate cake. I smiled and gave Bill a kiss on the cheek.

"OK," I said.

* * *

***The song at the beginning is Stealers Wheel, 'Stuck in the Middle'. The original lines are: 'Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you.' **

**OK so we have a slight case of FUBAR but, as always, things need to get worse before they get better … **

**(and I mean that in more ways than one ;) )**


	33. To Kill a Mocking-Were

**A/N **Apologies about the delay in posting, as you will see the reason is I wanted to post these next four chapters together. I will be posting one per day for the next four days.

**Warning: **The next few chapters deals with some unpleasant content. There are no graphic scenes or gratuitous sex/violence but there are issues of emotional/psychological/physical violation (past and current) addressed within the following four chapters – after which focus will return to lighter themes. It is not my intention for this to be the focal point of the story overall but some aspects of character interactions need to be dealt with before the characters can move on.

Since it's been a while, quick recap – The Weres and Vampires are on the verge of war, Sookie gathered them at her house to try and negotiate a treaty for the Northern Louisiana supes. After Patrick made an aggressive pass at Sookie, Eric broke his arm and disappeared in a poof of magic, and the treaty negotiations broke down.

Sorry for so much chat before the chapter – on we go :)

* * *

**Chpt 33 Chapter : To Kill a Mocking-Were**

**Dating Do: Do enjoy some passion, except while people are being murdered in which case it might not be entirely appropriate. **

"Did you have to break his arm?" I demanded as I walked into Eric's office that Wednesday night, dropping my purse on one chair and my butt on another. Pam had come to my house and I'd driven us both back to Shreveport – I wasn't allowed to travel alone.

"Yes," said Eric, unrepentant. "He disrespected me. Both by his words and when he tried to physically assault you." There was still a fire in his eyes and I saw a small flash of fang.

"I was handling it," I pointed out.

"Unsatisfactorily from what I saw, so I handled it for you."

"Just because I didn't feel the need to resort to violence." I really didn't know how to go about sorting this out. I'd spoken to Alcide earlier and Patrick was feeling no more forgiving than Eric. "Would it kill you to let the occasional insult go by without breaking something?"

"It might. I've never tried it. And better safe than sorry," he answered seriously. We eyed each other for a moment. I wasn't really mad at him for defending me but I didn't like that he'd taken such a risk.

"You weren't worried about the spell? From what Pam told me, part of it seemed a bit like what happened to you before." His face softened when I admitted my concern.

"Yes but that _all_ turned out just fine in the end." He gave me a look. "Besides the Were needed putting in his place. If it would not have done too much damage with the rest of the pack I would have killed him." He looked completely serious again. I gaped at him.

"Overreact much? Do you know what kind of body count I'd have if I killed everyone who said something nasty about me?"

"I'm sure it would still not match mine," Eric pointed out. I let it drop. Thinking about the thousands of people that Eric had probably killed over the centuries didn't exactly give me the warm fuzzies.

There was a knock on the door and the new barmaid came in with a blood for Eric and a ginger ale for me. The sounds from the bar followed her in and I could hear Van Halen's 'Dance the Night Away' playing over the sound system. She barely registered my existence as she came forward, being sure to put a little extra sway in her hips as she approached Eric, leaning down enough to give him a good view of her cleavage as she placed the drinks on his desk, whispering a sultry '_Master_'.

Her mind was full of her 'interview' during which Eric had inspected her qualifications very thoroughly. She had never been bitten before and had been really worried about it, but now that was all she could think about. In fact she'd settle for _just_ being bitten if she had to, though she'd rather have the whole package. I watched her with some fascination as she delivered the drinks and twitched her butt out again. When I glanced at Eric he gave no indication he had even really noticed the waitress, let alone considered what I might have just heard.

I had begun to suspect that a lot of the more uncomfortable experiences I'd had at Fangtasia, like the overly snug dresses and having to call Eric Master, had been because of Pam rather than Eric (not that he wasn't happy to take advantage of them). I wondered if Pam had 'inspired' this incident.

Of course, in the back of my mind, I'd known all along that Eric would be feeding and having sex, after all, he is a vampire, he's not in a relationship with … anyone, and on top of that he's Eric. Most of the time I tried not to think about it. Even though it was none of my business, I still didn't like it. There was a sort of jealousy sparked by the girl's thoughts but I wasn't sure if it was over _this_ Eric or his other self. It wasn't straight up jealousy, I didn't want what she had – since when it came right down to it, beyond an orgasm she had nothing (well OK so maybe I did want that part but that by itself was never going to be enough for me). Still, I found I didn't like that she'd had that tiny piece of him.

Eric was thoughtful, watching me as I kept my eyebrows from twisting into a frown. There was no gloating, no 'deal with it,' there was quiet assessment. I got the impression he hadn't noticed my pique because he was too busy with his own thoughts. Somehow I just _knew_ he wanted to ask me about my ex. My skin tightened as I shrank away from thinking about the Bill situation, I was torn between everything he'd done and how I still couldn't seem to walk away from him. I was ashamed of the feelings that lingered no matter what and I certainly didn't want to talk about it to Eric of all people.

I rummaged through my mind looking for a change of subject – this was harder than it might seem since Eric wasn't distracted easily – well except by sex, and even then he'd return to his point as soon as he was done, or his other-self had. Still, it was my best choice of conversation topic if I wanted to avoid the dangerous territory we were skirting around.

"So, I hear they used to call you Oster Otty," I commented casually.

Eric actually spat out a little of the blood he was drinking, he clearly hadn't expected that comment, ever. Pam rushed in at the same moment with a gleam in her eye that told me she didn't want to miss this. Eric recovered quickly, cleaning up almost before I saw what'd happened but didn't respond. When he didn't say anything Pam looked at me, glee bubbling over.

"Who called him that and when? Where did you hear it?" She asked as if her existence depended on my answers.

"A little birdie told me." He'd also been a bobcat, a horse, a puppy and other things, but he'd been a birdie at one point. Pam was looking at Eric.

"Óskmey Óski," he said quietly. Pam looked disappointed.

"That's what I said, Valkyrie Seducer right?" I tried to sound like I actually understood the words rather than had just been told what they meant.

"No." Eric said shortly. "What _you_ said was Ostr Ótti, which suggests a fear of cheese." He explained still blank faced. Pam laughed. I was caught between embarrassment at my mistake and a smirk as I understood Pam's reaction, a small snigger of my own escaped at the mental image of Eric running away from a large, rolling wheel of Jack Cheddar. "That will do Pam," Eric said. She frowned but left almost as swiftly as she'd arrived.

The Viking looked at me. "Is he still here?" Apart from a slight intensity to his eyes, Eric appeared relaxed. I really couldn't figure out what kind of relationship he and Loki had, were they friends or enemies?

"No. He told me about your nickname the night he came here. I did see him one other time, he was visiting Sam and showed up in my car when I was leaving, but he's gone now." I remembered Loki kissing me and that he'd wanted me to tell Eric. I decided against this and quickly shifted my train of thought before my emotions could give me away.

"Have you seen him shift? It's like, bam! Instant. Other shifters and weres, they kind of shimmer and squelch but with him it's so quick." I couldn't hide the admiration from my voice, it had been impressive. Eric x-rayed me with his eyes for a moment. I got the feeling he was also checking his blood to see what I felt regarding Loki, or maybe he'd gotten a flash of feeling when I remembered the kiss and was trying to figure out what I hadn't said.

If he suspected anything he didn't mention it. "It is why he is so dangerous. He doesn't get worn out from shifting either like the others do. Plus he can suppress his essence and change his human appearance making him hard to identify. In his human form he is much weaker than most vampires, even the youngish ones, well maybe not Bill, but because of his ability to change so quickly and so often, it is impossible to hurt him before he has hurt you and/or escaped." I decided to ignore the little dig at Bill and get on with some ribbing of my own.

"So anyway, the wish-girls?" I pressed. Eric laughed. I continued to watch him, I really was curious as to what he had to say about the stories Loki had been telling. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk looking quite pleased with himself.

"I survived a lot of battles that's all. On the battlefield it can be as much about luck as skill. I saw better fighters than me fall." His eyes were distant, picturing those ancient battles as he took another swig of blood.

"False modesty doesn't suit you Eric," I chided, wanting to keep it light. He came back to the now and looked straight at me, wickedness in his eye.

"Fine, I was the best fighter in all the kingdoms of the north and women threw themselves at my feet everywhere I went." His biceps flexed as he stroked back his hair.

"After all that fighting they may have just been passing out from your stink, I don't think they had deodorant back then," I suggested casually. I forced my face to seem unimpressed as I relaxed back in my chair and toed my heels off. I'd bought them to go with my new, more business-like, outfits, they pinched and I was still breaking them in.

"Cheeky minx. I'll have you know my odour was considered very manly." Eric forced his face into an outraged expression but his eyes were dancing.

"Well I'm happy to live in a post Right-Guard age." I screwed my nose up slightly as if he still stank. He looked at my scrunched schnoz and a smile teased his lips.

"You may have a point," he conceded gracefully. "Human senses are relatively dull but speaking as a vampire the world has been improved by a society that showers regularly. Unfortunately many of the scents women wear today are unappetising. I'd rather they just smelled of woman, albeit clean woman." He took a deep breath and I found myself trying to remember if I'd put perfume on.

"Trust you to be thinking with your fangs," I said offhandedly. Eric flashed them at me, letting them descend a little then retracting them again.

"We need to talk about your legal case," he said changing the subject abruptly. I'd been enjoying flexing my feet now that they were released from the shoes but I stopped and looked at him sharply.

"Did something happen?"

"No. And that is the problem." He was watching me, still in his laid back pose.

"I don't understand."

"The police investigation hasn't turned up anything new. Neither their enquiries nor mine have found any trace of the people who hired you to clean nor why they might want to set you up for murder. I have checked every connection to you no matter how vague and have turned up nothing. The police are eager to press ahead with their case against you which does not look good from our perspective. They have a lot of 'evidence' and the victim is very likeable to a jury: A police officer, a family man, popular with his colleagues and community; it seems everyone liked him, other than you." Eric looked amused that I was accused of killing such an upstanding citizen.

"Huh! Well they wouldn't like him so much if they knew what he was really like," I muttered as much to myself as to Eric. I kept my eyes on my painted toe nails trying not to think about what would happen if the Kravinoffs were never found and I went to jail. I'd spent a lot of the two weeks since my arrest _not_ thinking about this, I was surprisingly good at it in fact.

"What are you talking about?" Eric had flashed round the desk to behind me, spun my chair to face him and was now leaning over, holding my arms and staring at me intently. My stomach was still catching up with how quickly I'd been spun and I held my mouth closed for a moment just to be on the safe side. Despite his cool fingers I felt heat where he touched me. Eric was a bit angry and very excited. It was amazing he had the control to keep his fangs in when he felt like that, most vampires wouldn't be able to. I wondered why I was thinking about Eric's fangs at all.

Once I had swallowed to be sure my stomach was not going to rebel, I felt safe to explain what I'd been saying.

"He was dirty. I didn't get it all, obviously, it wasn't really what I was focused on the couple of times we met, but I know he had loads of dodgy contacts in the criminal world. He also liked to beat-up suspects to force confessions, sometimes so they'd take the fall for someone else. I know he'd stolen stuff from the evidence locker too because he was thinking about how he knew a way to get in there undetected and if necessary he could plant stuff against Jason," I grumbled. I was irritated that I was being seen as the bad guy when whoever had killed him had probably done a lot of people a favour.

When Eric spoke again it was with forced patience. "Why didn't you mention it?"

"Jesus Christ Eric," I said frustrated into swearing. "Do you have _any_ idea how much crap about people I hear? How many people have nasty little secrets of one kind or another? I learned the hard way not to talk about it. I mostly try not to even _think_ about it, like armadillo road kill: your mind brushes over it with less of a bump than your tyres. Besides, I didn't think it made much difference once the guy was dead." With supes you came to expect a whole load of crazy, it made sense in a weird sort of way, but the idea of _me_ being on bail for killing a cop, it was just too insane, I wasn't able to accept it as real. Since Eric had a handle on it, I'd often pushed thoughts of it aside. Once the Were negotiations started it had been easy to focus on those instead my trouble with the police. The whole thing was just too bizarre.

Eric crouched before me, his patience was really being tested and let's face it, it wasn't exactly his strongest trait. Not that he _couldn't_ be patient, when it was needed, but mostly he preferred not to bother since he was more than able to get whatever he wanted right away.

"You didn't think it made a difference that he was a 'bent cop'?"

"Of course not, I mean he was hardly going to do any more harm now. He's dead. Like dead-dead, not just kinda-dead like you." Eric let go of me in shock at my words but remained crouched before me.

"Kinda-dead?" He asked, mimicking my accent with surprising accuracy. His lips were twitching despite his exasperation with me.

"You know what I mean. You still walk around and stuff, he's _just_ dead, he doesn't even have a head." Eric sighed and looked at me for a moment longer.

"We will be returning to your interesting distinctions regarding 'types of dead' later." I got the impression it was only because this was _so_ important that we were not talking about it now. He put his hands on the arms of the chair I was sitting in. "Right now I want to know why, despite the risk of you being sentenced to your very own 'type of death', you have never mentioned to me or your lawyer that the person you are accused of killing was a criminal, and deeply involved in the criminal underworld." He finally lost control of his fangs and they peeped out but didn't descend completely. I was distracted by the strange humming in my blood when Eric was so close to me, it made it hard to think at all, let alone think straight.

"Like I said, I hear that sort of stuff all the time and anyway, you're not supposed to are you?"

"Not supposed to what, exactly?" Eric was staring at my face the way he did when he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. I found it reassuring, too often it felt like he already knew what I was thinking.

"You're not supposed to speak ill of the dead. Gran was always saying that," I explained. I was on conversational auto-pilot since my brain was busy working on something else, much like when I was shielding (which I was also doing, the bar was open and Eric's office was not that far from the horny mass of fang-bangers). Though still gripping the arms of the chair, Eric was also managing to stroke _my_ arms with his fingertips making my inner cat arch its back and purr, for which I was _definitely_ blaming the blood. Mostly.

Eric looked for a moment as if he'd like to give Gran a piece of his mind but then changed tack.

"So I assume you always speak well of me then." I could tell he didn't think this was the case by the way he leaned forward and made sure my eyes could not escape his. I pushed aside my other musings to focus on what we were talking about, something about speaking ill of the dead. I'd certainly said bad things about Eric before. Would Gran be mad about that?

"It's different," I decided as I said it.

"How so?" Eric was struggling to keep a straight face.

"I've only commented on stuff you've done _after_ you were already dead – I wouldn't ever say anything bad about stuff you'd done while you were still alive," I promised. Eric was very still for a moment. Then he moved back to squat on his heels and laughed. After a second I joined him, when spoken aloud it sounded ridiculous but it had made sense in my head.

He was looking at me as his laughter died down but just as things were about to get intense he stood and sauntered back behind his desk. I spun on my chair following him with my eyes, as no doubt he intended. Sitting, he picked up a pen and hovered it over a pad, though I doubted he was likely to forget much. "I think your Grandmother may give you a pass in this case, whatever your social conventions. You need to tell me everything you know about what the human was into," he said, looking focused.

"Why?"

"Because," he sighed with irritation, "whatever it was, is most likely what got him killed." My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid. The palms of my hands stung my face as they made contact.

After all that had happened since Bill walked into Merlotte's for the first time, I had assumed that the Kravinoffs had killed the cop in order to set me up. It had never occurred to me that they had set me up in order to kill the cop. Judging by what Eric had said, his investigation had followed my assumption. Talk about making an ass out of u and me!

"I am such an idiot. No wonder everyone thinks I'm dumb." I felt stupid and guilty and upset and embarrassed. Whenever I'd thought about the case, I'd focused on the Kravinoffs, where they were and how to find them. I'd gone over every detail I could remember about them so many times, even telling all the humiliating details of my interactions with them to my lawyer in case there was a detail in there that was important somehow, none of it felt real anymore. I gone over all my other activities at the time too, every movement, looking for a why or wherefore that might give a clue.

But I'd tried not to think about the victim. Thoughts of him were always accompanied by pictures in my head of his blasted face, his widowed wife crying, the infant child that would never know his father. I'd lost enough people myself to know their pain. Even though I hadn't killed him I felt so bad for them it hurt. I hadn't considered, even for a moment, what Eric had just pointed out. Now he had, I realised it should have been obvious. I wanted to bang my head hard against a wall to knock some sense into it. I went to pound my forehead with the heel of my hand but Eric was back at my side, restraining me.

"I think, under the circumstances, it is understandable that you haven't been able to consider all the angles Sookie. Besides, giving yourself a concussion will not help anyone." He was failing to keep a serious face and after a moment I had to smile at him, though that was in part because he was touching me again.

The sharing meant that contact with Eric was even more soothing than floating on my back in the still waters of a lake when no one else was about. I found myself leaning forward and resting my forehead on his chest to get some respite, using his silence against the fang-banger thoughts and his blood against the stress. Eric dipped his face to inhale the scent of my hair, I felt his cheek rest on my crown. He breathed with me. After a moment I pulled back again and Eric shifted my purse to sit in the chair besides me.

Once I'd told him every bit of info I could remember picking up from Deputy Jacobs' thoughts, Eric spent the rest of the evening on the phone regarding my case while I sat on the other side of his desk with an extra phone he'd had installed, calling weres and shifters and witches trying to convince them to come back to the negotiation table.

[~~~]

By the next day, I hadn't had any luck getting an agreement to return to talks from anyone and I was frustrated. Even though 'my supes', as I thought of them, didn't have any specific grudges against each other (if you excluded Patrick which I tried to do as much as possible), the general feeling in the supe community at large was mistrust. Small skirmishes had broken out in several other states and war was becoming more and more likely. My supes wanted out but they were not prepared to alienate themselves from their own kinds even if they'd be allowed to. They needed a water tight agreement and Patrick had blown a big hole in the one we'd been working on.

Eric had told me to take the following night off, let everyone calm down and regroup, then we could try again. The suggestion had come when, after talking in circles with Alcide for an hour I replaced the phone receiver harder than necessary and simultaneously managed to knock over my drink. As the liquid ran rampage over Eric's desk I let out a grunt of frustration and threw the offending glass against the wall where, with a loud crash, it exploded spectacularly. I didn't see the piece of glass flying towards me until after Eric caught it out of the air. It took several deep breaths to cool my temper, then shame overran anger more thoroughly than coke had run over Eric's papers.

I'd prepared to stand and clean up but Eric was already behind me, his hands on my shoulders, making me stay seated. "Eric, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to … oh!" Rather than the talking to I was expecting, Eric had started to rub the tension from my muscles. As his thumbs pushed deep circles, my eyes closed and a sigh slipped from my lips. The massage had felt great but it had not alleviated the feelings of frustration in the slightest. Instead it had reminded me vividly of a time he'd rubbed my shoulders once before, when we were naked … and wet … though of course he didn't remember that.

I was still fidgety and restless the following evening as, against Eric's advice, I sat pouring over my notes from the meetings again, looking for an answer. Tray had spent the day outside my house working on an old pickup. Eric still insisted I wasn't to be left alone in case Patrick came after me again. We had Alcide's promise that he and Weres he trusted were keeping an eye on Patrick in Shreveport, and Tray was at my house. As a lone wolf, Tray was not bound to abide by Patrick's commands yet could bear witness to a breach against a 'Friend of the Pack.' (Apparently aggressive come-ons were not a breach, just the SOP for Were courting.) Every couple of hours I'd make food and drinks and we'd sit on the porch together in the sun for a break but other than that he did his work and I did mine.

I'd managed to come up with some compromise suggestions for some of the outstanding issues (you'd be amazed at how well the 'if these were pre-schoolers what would you tell them' approach works), but could think of nothing that would get them talking again in the first place. The night before, Alcide had told me that Patrick was refusing to budge until Eric dished out some kind of compensation for the physical injury. He also wanted a guarantee it couldn't happen again, he was claiming our security was not effective. Eric had said there was plenty he was prepared to 'dish out' to Patrick but it wasn't compensation and recommended the 'improved security measure' of muzzles for the Weres. I'd quickly realised that they'd all been more aware of the leeway in the security spell than I had, but because they'd been focused on how _they_ could use it rather than how it might be used against them they'd not minded, until Eric made use of it.

I'd made more calls during the day. I hadn't managed to speak to Trish but I spoke to the small quiet looking witch with the powerful right hook, whose name was Helene (pronounced Hel-e-en). Helene said that Trish too was concerned about the nature of the security we had provided, given the obviously Machiavellian approach of the participants. She'd picked the spell on the understanding the participants required a deterrent more than prevention. The Wiccan leader was spending most of her time trying to commune with the cosmos for answers. I wasn't sure what that involved exactly but it seemed it precluded taking phone calls. Calvin also wouldn't or couldn't speak to me but Jason told me, off-the-record, that he wasn't taking Patrick's calls either. Alcide let slip he thought Patrick's stubbornness was about embarrassment more than anything else. For him, it was a matter of saving face somehow.

It didn't help that my mind kept wandering off course. Patrick's allegations, far from making me feel popular, served mostly to remind me I was alone. I'd never minded so much when Gran or even Tara were about but lately I was really feeling it. Calvin and I had put the kibosh on any interest he may have held. Alcide had moved on which we both agreed was for the best. I was trying to work through my issues with Bill, but although I still wasn't sure what the next step _was_ I doubted it was romantic. And Eric and I had settled into a nice safe platonic friendship which somehow depressed me more than any of the other, might-have-been relationships.

Sometimes, regardless of the emotional side of things, a body just yearns to be held, to be touched and stroked in a loving way. I felt like a wind-up toy that had been wound but not let go. Eric's massage had turned my key a few more times. If I didn't get a release soon I thought something inside me might snap. My over-stretched libido was not eased by the fact that pretty much every surface of my house now came supplied with its very own x-rated memory.

I was working in the kitchen when, about an hour after sunset, Tray left and Bill arrived. He let himself in and poured me a coke while heating himself a blood.

"I was under the impression you were taking the night off," he said looking at the paperwork spread before me. I stopped my search for a specific page of notes and paused to rub my temples. Bill passed me the coke.

"Try telling my brain that," I explained after downing a big mouthful. "Everything keeps buzzing round my head anyway so I figured I might as well keep working. I can't seem to switch off at the moment," _in more ways than one_ my mind helpfully added as I looked ruefully at the kitchen table. I'd purposely replaced the fire damaged one with another just as sturdy, since I knew that was important.

The coke tasted a bit flat and seemed to stick in my mouth. I took the glass to the sink to pour the rest down the drain and get some water instead. I remembered a certain impatient vampire doing something very distracting when I'd tried to stop for a water break somewhere between orgasms. I'd been at the sink just like this, only with far less clothing on and he'd started to … At the same moment I felt movement behind me and my body clenched in remembered surprise.

Bill curled his fingers round my hips, his front brushed against my back. "I can help you switch off," he said urgently, his lips right by my ear. He pulled back enough to turn me so I was facing him and then pressed me against the sink again. Not waiting for a response, he kissed me, his lips were gentle but his tongue brushed between mine seeking entrance. "Please Sookie," he murmured against my mouth. "I want you, it is all I can think about. I need you." Even when your libido hasn't been scratching at the door desperate to be let out for a run, it is a massive turn on to be so desired.

My body was all for taking what it wanted, since the opportunity had presented itself. Bill's hands grabbed my ribs and the girls were definitely paying attention to the way his thumbs stroked the area just under them. "I want to bury myself in you Sookie," he growled at me as he pressed into me again. "I want to fuck you until you moan." Oh my!

He kissed me again and I found myself kissing back, mind off, libido on.

I was laying on my kitchen floor with Bill hovering over me. The air around us seemed to heave with lust. He had my sweats and panties off in one smooth move and reached to remove my t-shirt too, pulling it over my head. My hair cascaded around my face as my clip disappeared with the sweater. He positioned himself between my legs, his pants pushed down round his knees. My hands were in my hair my mind a fog of swirling hormones as he ripped the lower part of his shirt open. His fingers dug into my hips as he positioned me and his mouth latched onto my breast after simply pushing my bra up out of the way. I heard my cell phone ring.

We both froze. His tongue was still curled around a nipple. One of my hands gripped his head, the other was still curled in my own hair. My back was arched where I'd pushed myself up against him. There was that moment, like if we stayed perfectly still the phone wouldn't know we were here and would give up. It didn't of course. It rang again.

Sense and sanity burst out of that second ring and I became aware I was sprawled on my kitchen floor, legs akimbo in a most undignified manner, about to have sex with a man I was pretty sure I didn't want to get back into bed with (so to speak). I moved to get up and Bill let me. He seemed very tense.

Yanking my bra back over my breast (he'd only freed one) I reached up and grabbed my phone from the table top. I was still sat on the floor as I looked at the screen. It was Alcide.

"Hel –" was as far as I got when Alcide's voice exploded out at me.

"Sookie, are you all right?" He didn't wait for an answer before he raced on. "There's a strange Were in town. Patrick has been murdered, right outside his house. His grand-kids saw it. I need to meet with Eric NOW!" He paused for a breath then explained more clearly. "Word leaked out that we were getting close to a deal with the vampires so in order to prevent it someone killed Patrick. We're signing this treaty tonight. Once it's done and we go public there will be no point in them targeting anyone else." I looked wide eyed at Bill. He passed me my pants and started doing up his own clothes.

"Do they know about me?" I asked Alcide. It might _sound_ like a selfish question but I was more concerned over the meetings at my house, whether everyone who'd come here was at risk.

"I don't know. Is Eric with you?" Alcide sounded worried.

"No, I'm at my house with Bill. I think Eric is at Fangtasia tonight. Where do you want to meet?" My hand began to shake as I started to absorb what had happened.

"As Bill is with you, stay there. We'll come to you, that will be safer." Alcide sounded relieved I was not alone. I could hear other Weres talking in the background.

"OK, I'll call Eric now." Bill waved his hand around to catch my attention, his phone was to his ear, I figured he was already calling the bar.

"How soon will you be here?" I asked Alcide, pulling myself to my feet, my pants still gripped in a tight fist.

"I've checked in with all the pack, everyone else is OK and on alert. I've been granted temporary pack-master power until we can hold a proper contest but all are in agreement, we want the deal. You were right Sookie, about standing with those who stand with you. We might be Weres but when it comes to sides, we're against those that attack us. What about the others? The witches and shifters?" He sounded like he was moving around as he spoke, background conversation ebbed and flowed down the line.

"I'll call them too, at the very least they need to be warned about this Were. Is it just one?" My heart was hammering making me sound breathless.

"We think so, Patrick's wife couldn't trace more than one strange scent in the area but she couldn't follow the trail as she had to take care of the children." I nodded even though Alcide couldn't see that.

"How are they?" I asked. I'd never met Patrick's grandchildren but I could picture two small faces, white with shock and fear, as clearly as if I had.

"Chuck, the eldest – he's 9 – he made his little brother hide under the sink with him. He said he knew there was bleach in there so if the bad man came in they could throw it at him."

"Smart kid!" I was impressed.

"Yeah. He saw the guy too and said he definitely smelled of Were but wasn't anyone he knew." Alcide asked me to hang on, there was a muffled conversation as I braced myself for more bad news.

"Sorry about that, they've just inspected the body. I don't know what the guy used but he struck just after dark and managed to drain a lot of Patrick's blood leaving only two small holes in his neck."

"So it would look like a vampire did it?" I asked, shocked into stating the obvious.

"I'm sure that was the idea," Alcide confirmed. "You need to let Eric know,"

"Of course. Is everyone else all right?"

"They will be. The pack is gathering. Safety in numbers."

"OK, I'll speak to Eric now, and then call the others." From the way Bill was looking at me I figured he'd already filled Eric in on what he'd heard at the beginning of the call and they were now both listening to my conversation with Alcide. "Just watch your back, OK," I said firmly down the phone.

"Don't worry, I will." Alcide hung up.

Eric already knew enough to say he was on his way. He'd only stayed on the line so he could give me orders to stay inside the house and to listen to Bill if he told me I had to hide. I figured Bill already had his orders. As I hung up from Eric, I realised I'd just had both those conversations in nothing but my bra. Giving Bill his phone back, I quickly put my pants and top back on without meeting his eye.

I looked around for my panties and Bill handed them to me. He had tucked his shirt in as neatly as he could but you could tell some of the buttons were missing. I smiled a quick thanks and looked away, dialling Sam already. Nothing like a good ol' murder to kill your engine – though not for vampires judging by the bulge Bill was still sporting.

[***]

Within 15 minutes Sam, Calvin and Trish had all agreed to meet at my house as soon as they could. Calvin and Patricia needed to check on their people first and spread the word for caution. Sam needed to get Terry in to cover the bar.

I looked at the kitchen floor when I finished my last call. I felt an urge to clean it and myself. I was still in my sweat pants and raggedy old t-shirt with my underwear in my pocket. As a prelude to cleaning up I moved the kitchen chairs into the living room while sending Bill back to his house to get his computer and printer. I needed to get him out of the way, he was hovering too much and something felt off. He must have run vampire speed, he was back by the time I'd finished moving chairs. I didn't feel right cleaning the kitchen with Bill watching me so I decided to try and keep everyone in the living room.

I was just about to go for a quick shower when I heard a scratching at the front door and had to open up for Dean. After he padded in, I led him to the spare bedroom, pulling out the clothes I kept for him from the drawers. He often ran to my house on full-moon nights and sometimes fell asleep here. Leaving Dean to change back into Sam and dress, I planned to nip into my bedroom and change myself but I heard a car coming up the drive. I looked at Bill. He held out a hand for me to stay back and went to look out the window.

"It is Calvin and not far behind him is Alcide," announced Eric from behind me, making me jump. He had obviously flown here and let himself in the back door. I pressed my hand to my heart as Eric looked at me carefully for a moment. I couldn't read his face.

"Bill I see your computer equipment is here," he said shifting his gaze to my neighbour.

"Oh, he went to get it so we could print out the agreements we discussed," I explained unsure why Eric sounded so unhappy about Bill's PC and printer being on my kitchen table. My heart was thumping and my skin prickled.

Eric kept his eyes on Bill.

"I assume you went to get those after the Shifter arrived," he stated, clearly already knowing that was not when Bill had left. I looked away but it didn't do any good. Eric could feel my pounding heart jump as well as hear it. His fangs dropped.

"No," Bill confessed under Eric's stony gaze.

"So on being informed that a Were assassin is here killing people involved in the treaty, you ran off to save your stupid electronic box! Did you think it might get shot if you were not there to protect it?" Eric was really angry. Bill looked embarrassed and a little scared.

"I told him to go get them," I insisted. I'd already figured out that Bill's orders were to protect me but he was only gone for a couple of minutes. "I wanted everything ready for the treaty." Not to mention I'd thought a quick run might help him work off some pent up energy. I hadn't wanted him sporting a hard on when everyone started arriving. Judging by his face my comment had only made Eric angrier so I shut up.

Sam came out just then ruffling his hair with one hand and carrying some shoes with the other. His feet were bare and I remembered I didn't have any socks for him. He stopped and looked between the three of us. I guessed I was probably looking pale, or flushed, I wasn't sure. Eric was still fangy and Bill was hanging his head.

"What? Did something else happen?" Sam asked, his eyes flicking from face to face.

"No, it's fine," I said firmly trying to push the whole issue to a back burner. Sam's comment had reminded me that someone had died tonight, everything else should pale in comparison. "No one else has been hurt. I'm fine." I added pointedly to Eric. Eric didn't soften his gaze at Bill but he did retract his fangs.

As we listened to Calvin's truck pull up and him approach, Eric continued to glare at Bill, Bill continued to avoid his eye and Sam sat down to put his shoes on. I'd told them all to just walk in on arrival, tonight was no night to be hovering on the doorstep waiting to be let in. Calvin was alone when he entered. I looked behind him hopefully but my brother wasn't there.

"We couldn't risk it Sookie, not tonight," he said understanding my look immediately. I nodded. If there was trouble I didn't want Jason anywhere near it.

I heard Alcide pull up a moment later. Eric finally stopped glaring at Bill to go out and meet him. I could see him scanning the area to make sure Alcide wasn't followed. Alcide gave him a nod of thanks as he came past him into the house. Maria-Star was with him, she had a big bag over her shoulder.

I ran over and hugged Alcide. He was stiff at first but then relaxed and hugged back.

"I'm sorry about Patrick," I said pulling back to look at his face.

"We didn't like each other, but I talked him into this and it got him killed. We will find out who did it and they will pay" he assured me. "First I want to get the treaty sorted, that will be more revenge than taking out one Were. We can not be intimidated." His eyes were sharp with anger and determination, they had gone slightly more yellow and the colour seemed to fill the whole area, leaving no white around the edge.

I gave Maria-Star a warm smile and a quick hug too, which she returned, then ushered the she-were further in, away from the door.

Eric was looking thoughtful as he and Alcide faced each other.

"Once we are done here I will have my trackers join your search. We will help you find the Were that killed your pack-master," offered Eric.

"I'd appreciate the help with tracking but the kill is ours alone," Alcide said back. I shuddered.

"Of course," agreed Eric. There was camaraderie in their shared gaze, or an understanding at least.

Trish arrived shortly after, she too was alone. I looked around the gathered group. After all our formal meetings, suited and booted, Trish was in a house coat, her hair in a scruffy bun. Eric was in jeans and a t-shirt he'd obviously gotten for free from a blood company. Alcide was in the dusty, paint splattered clothes he wore on the occasions he was helping out at one of the building sites. And Calvin was in his work overalls. Then there was me of course in scruffy sweats with my panties in my pocket. Only Sam was dressed as he always was but then I wasn't sure if he even owned any other types of clothes.

This treaty was not going to write itself. We got stuck in.

* * *

A/N: Yes more icky Billness, sorry - will be over soon. Don't judge Eric to harshly for the barmaid - remember for him sex can be purely perfunctory as well as intimate. So three more chapters to come over the next three days that should explain a lot. Sorry again for the delay xx


	34. Supes Inc

***blushes with shame* I was so busy nattering on before the last chapter I forgot to mention the most important thing: a huge huge thank you to the amazing Treewitch703. Please all send her lots of hugs for all her amazing work and support *big wet sloppy kisses***

**Thanks for all the reviews, much love to you all.  
**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

* * *

**Chapter 34: Supes Inc.**

**Dating Don't: Don't underestimate the power of ink. Sometimes seeing something down on paper can really show you the magnitude of what you're dealing with. **

In the end it took a surprisingly short time for the agreement to be drawn up. It's amazing how a murder can make people focus. Not everything was covered and provisions had to be made to add further clauses at a later date but the important foundations were laid: They wouldn't try to kill each other and the others would help if anyone else tried to kill any one of them – only they used fancier language. Plus there were lots of bits making up the overall agreement. Something like: None of the groups present would attack any of the other groups. Any issues arising between members of two groups would first be referred to the two leaders of those groups. If a consensus could not be reached the matter would be put before a tribunal of all groups present. If any group faced an external threat the other groups would provide assistance if required. If any group heard of a threat to another group they would warn them. That sort of thing.

I ran back and forth getting pens, knives, band-aids, drinks, and anything else they might need. Bill typed up the agreement and printed it. Everyone signed in their own blood and Trish sealed the contract with a charm. Even with the scent of blood and magic swirling around it felt like an anti-climax. Much as I didn't like him, I couldn't feel good about what had happened to Patrick.

"Right," said Maria-Star when they'd all signed. We need to go public asap. I've already spoken to the editor at the Shreveport Times and he's holding a space for a photo and small story as long as we get it to him before midnight. We can expand on it later but for now it's something out there." She opened her bag and started getting out camera equipment.

"What's the story?" asked Sam. He hadn't signed the main agreement as he said he wasn't a group but had signed to say he would share information regarding threats and begrudgingly that he would act as an auxiliary mediator if the other parties could not come to an agreement without him.

"You, Eric, Patricia and Alcide all run businesses. It will be about local businesses working together to create a greater sense of community, meeting to discuss community matters, working together to support community projects, that sort of thing. We'll include a quote from Calvin as a community member about how nice it is when everyone can work together to overcome differences and make new ties etc. You'll all need to be in the picture." While she was setting up I took a moment to speak to Alcide.

"So what will happen now?" He knew I was asking about the pack.

"Looks like I'm pack leader," he shrugged. I got the impression he wasn't sure himself how he felt about that yet.

"You'll be great, I can tell," I said. He looked at me to say '_how could you know that?_', but in a grateful way. "The way you took charge tonight, took care of the rest of the pack, straightened out the treaty. You're even going after whoever killed Patrick, despite …" It seemed harsh to say it out loud but we all know there was no love lost there. Alcide nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm not saying it's a good thing, but Patrick's murder can be worked to our advantage. There will always be some people who question working with the vamps when they think we should stick with our own. Our pack-master being murdered by a Were negates that and supports the reasons for a treaty, we already had the witch-war as validation as well."

I'd known they would have to have a good reason for not siding with the Weres that wanted war. I was trying not to think about the irony that the one person least inclined to sign the treaty had made it possible with his murder.

As if on cue, Pam arrived with a selection of clothes, suits for Eric, Calvin and Alcide, a smart dress for Trish, and socks and a sport jacket for Sam. I had no idea how she knew their sizes, I figured Eric had texted her about the socks. Maybe he'd gotten the clothing preferences and texted them too but I wouldn't put it past him to simply provide the clothes without consultation.

The men went into the spare bedroom to change, well I shooed them there (to Eric's amusement) after I realised they were all about to drop their pants in the living room. I offered Patricia my room taking the opportunity to duck into the bathroom and throw on some jeans (also some underwear) with a cute little long-sleeved top that Tara had saved for me last time she had a sale.

When I emerged, pulling my hair back out of the way, they'd moved my couch in front of a window (through which you could only see darkness) and shifted everything else out of the way. I understood they were trying to make the space as generic as possible, any old couch in any old room, so no one could tie it to my house. Eric sat in the middle with Alcide on one side and Patricia on the other, Calvin and Sam perched on the arms. I hovered behind Maria-Star still worrying that we'd overlooked something important. She snapped off a few shots and then chatted to Calvin about his 'quote'.

Eric came over to me as I hung back, trying to stay out of the way. He'd been outside on his phone (presumably talking to the Queen to report what had happened) and brought a current of spring air back in with him. I'd kept my shields down all the while he was outside in case any minds approached but hadn't heard anyone.

"You are worried," he observed.

"Of course I'm worried," I snapped back, trying to hide how much better I felt now that he was back inside. I'd been wound up for too darn long. Though I felt nothing but relief that Alcide's call had come when it did, that part of me still really needed to work my tension off. "What if someone else gets killed because of this? What if I've …" I knew my eyes were begging Eric for reassurance.

"You are not responsible for what happened to Furnan," he said definitely, delivering comfort as requested.

"It was my idea to have this treaty. I still don't understand why anyone else would care. Why would they kill Patrick just because you guys don't want to fight?"

"Because we are not the only ones that feel this way and those that _do_ want war don't want an alternative out there," Eric explained looking unconcerned.

"That Were that killed Furnan is still around," I said. "He's not going to give up is he?" Eric didn't seem worried but that was not as reassuring as I'd hoped seeing as Eric was almost never worried, even when he should be.

"No, but now we know he is about and we have his scent. Patrick was only vulnerable because we did not think he would be the target." I nodded, started to feel better then slammed the brakes on that feeling.

"What do you mean you didn't think _he_ would be the target? Who did you think _would_ be the target?" I demanded, the prickles on the back of my neck starting to crawl down my spine.

"Me." Eric seemed proud of this, like it was an achievement. I glared at him and he explained. "We knew there was a good chance someone would try to disrupt the process but, as it is primarily some Weres pushing for war, we figured, if anyone, they would attack a vampire." He shrugged unconcerned.

"You!" I smacked his arm hurting my hand. He grabbed it and started rubbing my palm soothingly in response, smug fiend. I couldn't get my hand back from him but I continued my telling off anyway. "You _knew_ they might send someone to kill people, you thought they would go after _you_, _and_ you didn't tell _me_. Why?"

"Because you worry too much," he said, kissing me on the tip of my nose before finally releasing my hand and walking away.

I huffed. I did worry, but I didn't agree it was 'too much' when it came to people's lives (or unlives) being genuinely in danger. Pam appeared beside me and put an arm around my waist, she'd become very touchy-feely since I'd kissed her. Leaning over she kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear, "I had extra protection watching him, the whole time," so quietly I almost didn't hear it. Then she wandered off too.

I was glad Pam was watching Eric's back, but a little disconcerted she'd told me about it, especially as she didn't seem to have told him. She had emerged from the spare room where she had disappeared with Bill for some reason. He now had a change of shirt too, though I wasn't sure why seeing as he wasn't in the photos. Whatever the reason he didn't look happy when he returned, in fact he almost looked tired.

[~~~]

It was early the next morning when my phone started ringing. Although I'd gotten to bed at a reasonable hour (more or less), I stumbled out again drowsily and grabbed the phone in panic – what if someone else was hurt or worse.

"Hey girl, how's that mama of yours?" Asked a fakely-bright-and-perky Hispanic voice. It took a second to pick up on her reference, as I was still half asleep and had been expecting bad news.

"Luna?"

"You remembered. I'm touched." She was trying to sound sarcastic but I got the impression she really _was_ pleased I'd recognised her.

"Well, I haven't been trapped upside-down in a car while lunatics try to murder me that often. It was pretty memorable," I rambled while widening my eyes in an attempt to make them stay open. Luna laughed. "So how come you're calling?" Not that I minded, but I'd not heard from her before and it seemed odd that she was calling now.

"Well the Weres I hang out with, you remember them?"

"Bad and Bad-er, sure," I yawned. I'd been blindfolded but that car journey was memorable too. Luna laughed.

"Well we heard about your treaty and that the vamp involved was that Mr Sexy Undead we saw when we dropped you at the vamp hotel but we don't know how to reach him, or even if he'd take our call, so we figured we'd call you. We hoped maybe you could help us set up something similar with Stan Davis. We can't contact him directly since he got promoted."

I was blankly staring at my reflection in the window over the kitchen sink (I had really scary bed hair). I'd been so focused on my small group of supes I hadn't really thought about any others that might want to be Switzerland too. I remembered Stan had negotiated with Luna after she helped me escape the Fellowship. Like Eric and Alcide, as far as I knew there was no specific animosity between them, they just liked to keep to themselves.

"Why would you think I could help?" I wondered aloud between yawns. I slipper-shuffled over to the coffee machine, glad Bill had the been kind enough to set it up for me the night before, and switched it on.

"You're kidding right? Farrell still raves about you and I know for a fact Stan Davis made your vamp a really generous offer for you. You're like number one human for them. If _you_ ask, they'll listen. I heard your Sheriff is pretty fond of you too. Apparently he insists on watching over you himself whenever you travel, even when he's supposed to be looking after his area. They say he doesn't trust anyone else to do it." Damn supes and their gossiping. I looked back at my reflection trying to wake up enough to catch up.

"How did you even hear about the treaty?"

"It's in the paper," she said as if this was obvious. I remembered Maria-Star taking pictures the night before. The coffee was starting to drip through and the smell alone was rousing my brain-cells, though not as efficiently as drinking it was going to.

"I know but it's a local paper," I mumbled glaring at the machine to drip faster.

"The story is online, plus stuff about the agreement has been posted on loads of Were and shifter sites. I'm sure the vamps are talking about it too. Or they will be when they gets their lazy asses out of bed." I hadn't really thought about why Maria-Star was doing the story for the paper. I'd put it down to publicity being another way of locking down their agreement. Like the signing in blood, it made breaking the treaty have bigger consequences. I realised now it was also a way to show others that there were alternative options to fighting. "So can you help us?" I'd always pictured Switzerland as such a peaceful, secluded place.

The coffee was finally ready and I steered Luna into more casual conversation while allowing it to do its job of waking me up properly. Luna told me about a trip she'd taken to San Antonio and the beautiful river walk, I told her I'd been to Jackson and found a really good hair and nail salon (I was getting good at telling heavily edited stories by this point). Our treaty involved a lot of specifics that related to the people involved but the basic premise centred around a list of principal points that I had kept a note of. Eventually after promising to send over a blank copy of that principle list and that I would talk to Eric about calling Stan, I hung up.

Once I'd finished my coffee, I jumped in the shower. Despite everything else that was going on, I found my thoughts drifting to Bill. On the one hand he was clearly in trouble with Eric for going to get his computer when he was supposed to be watching me, even though I'd told him to (he was, of course, expected to ignore any of my requests since he'd had instructions from Eric). I wanted to smooth things over for him but thought that any interference on my part would only make it worse. He'd looked unhappy after Pam had taken him aside after the treaty was signed, maybe he'd had his telling-off and it was all done now – somehow, knowing Eric, I didn't think Bill would be let off that lightly.

But Bill being in trouble with his sheriff was not what took up most of my thoughts. Bill and I had almost had sex. On my kitchen floor. And I had no idea how I felt about it.

I was definitely relieved that we'd been interrupted. I did feel that Bill cared for me, in a genuine way. Even when he was with Lorena, even when Eric and Pam told me what he had planned, I'd clung to the hope that Bill did care for me. Maybe not enough, maybe not in the way I would want, but even now, I _knew_ he cared. This knowledge felt real and constant. Sure, his vampire instincts pushed him to just claim me and keep me in his house, only for him. Plus he had that whole 'obey' issue that made him lash out at me when I didn't. But at times it seemed he was _trying_ to fight his nature, _trying_ to be patient and understanding, to let us be equal partners in whatever relationship we had.

He was always doing things for me, offering to help round the house, checking on me, helping with my telepathy. He'd been my mainstay when Gran died. Right from the start, when even Jason had let me down, Bill had stayed with me, held me, comforted me. I'd never have gotten through my grief without him. We'd grown so close during that time, formed bonds that last.

Ever since then, even when we weren't close, I always _knew_, that if I needed to, I could turn to him and he'd be there. He wasn't all Gran had been to me, but he had taken on some of her roles in my life. He was thoughtful and calm in the face of adversity (well mostly) and he maintained that old-world southern charm that had been so much a part of Gran too. Plus she'd known him, liked him, that counted for a lot in my book.

The simple fact was, I thought of Bill like a part of my family. That meant that, even when I hated him, I loved him. Even when we fell out, I knew we'd make up. That's just how it is with families. I now knew that his blood was part of the reason I felt that way. But I hadn't had any for ages and both Bill and Eric had said the effects wear off. So what did it mean that I still seemed to feel like that about him?

Did it mean I could be in a relationship with him again? Our chemistry seemed to be as strong as ever judging by what almost happened but then I'd been so wound up anyway … There was that part of me that _knew _I needed him in my life. And Bill wanted to be my everything, my boyfriend, my partner, he wanted to share my life. No one else had offered that (except amnesiac Eric and he didn't exist any more). If Bill and I could only go back to what we had at the start, before the Maenads and Makers and Monarchs, when it was just us it was great. Why couldn't we just have that?

I couldn't reconcile all that with the part inside me that kept pulling away from him, that set alarm bells ringing whenever he got too close. I had trouble believing his blood could be having so much influence on me after all this time, especially since the sharing with Eric so perhaps it was the other part that was wrong? I would need to check, talk to Pam or Eric about the influence from blood to be sure, but maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe I should give him another chance. Maybe we could be happy? Even as my mind tried to make this argument, something felt off.

[***]

My phone rang again as I was towel-drying my hair. It was Alcide. He'd had a call too, from Jackson. They were just the first. Luna seemed to feel at liberty to hand out my number as I received two more calls, both from shifters who knew her. I knew Alcide had gotten lots more. He called after each one to give me either email addresses or fax numbers to send the principle points list to when I went to Fangtasia. I told him about the ones that had called me as well, so he could keep track of the Were packs that were on our side.

Rather than removing us from the war, I felt that the treaty had instead put us at the centre of the resistance. Eric had said they knew some of the war mongers would not like us working together, it was why Patrick was murdered. Now, some of the Weres Alcide had spoken to wanted us to go visit them and help with negotiations. Thank goodness he'd told them he'd have to talk to the other leaders in his treaty group before he could agree to that. I was hoping we could just do it over the phone or something. I didn't fancy bouncing all over the country going to meetings with groups of hostile supes I didn't know. It had been tense enough with the ones I did.

When I got a bit of a break from the phone calls, I walked down my drive to get the mail. As promised, a copy of the Shreveport Times was in there. Maria-Star had had one sent over hot off the press. I flicked through the paper until I found the page. Sure enough there was the picture of the supes clustered together on my couch. Even with the reflection of the flash from the window behind them, Eric dominated the space, sitting slightly sprawled looking straight into the camera lens. I could tell by the gleam in his eye he'd been flirting at Maria-Star while she was taking the photos. I shook my head at him and flicked his face chidingly.

Sorting through the rest of my post I dumped the request to donate to Chimp Haven, the two-for-one Pizza offer and the notification of this year's Mud-bug Madness straight in the trash, pulling out the half-price-blood offer to pin to my cork board. Then I spotted a formal looking envelope hiding amongst all the junk. At first I was worried it was some overdue bill I'd forgotten or something. Closer inspection revealed it to be a pay slip from Eric.

It didn't have a stamp on it so presumably it had been hand delivered. It covered my 'special project' pay for the two weeks work. Looking at it, I dropped my plate of toast and gaped in shock for much longer than you'd think possible. It wasn't the amount, which while including a generous bonus was pretty much what we'd agreed so not that shocking. It was the background of the payment slip. Behind the carefully filled in details was a watermark. Of Eric. Naked.

It was clearly taken at the same time as the Fangtasia calender shots but wasn't the one they'd gone with for Mr January (in which Eric was uncharacteristically granted some modesty by the corner of a sheet from the bed he was draped across). The pay slip was carefully laid out so that the gross pay amount sat just over the part of Eric that 'gross' (in terms of large) brought to mind. Like I say, I might have spent more time than strictly necessary staring at it. You certainly do not get a pay slip like that everyday. Still, he'd have to send me a proper one (in both senses of 'proper'). What if someone needed to see it? I wasn't sending naked pics of my boss to the IRS.

[***]

I'd sent Eric a text saying I wanted to speak to him when he awoke so I wasn't surprised when he called shortly after full dark.

"Get ready to come to Fangtasia, dress smart. Pam will be with you shortly, you can travel in your car," he said without preamble.

"Is everything all right?" He sounded a little tense.

"The Queen wants to see us."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. I didn't think I wanted to meet the Queen but it didn't sound like I had a choice. I stared at my book, which I'd placed face down to keep the page when my phone rang. The silence stretched on.

"She only wants to congratulate herself on having underlings that have helped avert a war," he said after I stayed silent. He didn't sound relaxed though.

"Lots of other supes have been calling all day wanting to copy the agreement you guys made," I was buying time to see if I could come up with a reason not to go to Fangtasia.

"They have been calling you?" He didn't sound happy about that either.

"Only a couple of them. You remember that shifter that helped me in Dallas?" He made an indistinct noise that I took for affirmation. "Luna. She called first thing, she wants us to ask Stan Davis if he'll meet with them."

"I have heard from Stan already."

"Oh, good. Well I said I'd send her a list of the basic points in the agreement." I'd started walking into my kitchen, unable to keep still but with no real task in mind. There was another long pause.

"Who else?" Eric's voice was coaxing, he was trying to calm me by focusing on business.

"Some others that knew her, I guess she gave them my number." There was a small growl down the line. I hadn't been over the moon about it myself but it was too late to worry now.

"Why did she call you?"

"They remembered you from when they dropped me off at the hotel. You made quite an impression," I said trying to cheer him a bit. His voice had taken on that dangerous tone he got when he was thinking about the damage he could do to someone.

"When they threw you blindfolded and bleeding out of a moving car you mean?" Cheering him had not worked. It sounded bad when he put it like that, but that is pretty much what they'd done.

"Yes." I'd taken a pitcher of tea from the fridge and now poured some into a glass. "It's all right, Luna's lot and Stan have negotiated before, so they should be fine right? Maybe Bill could help again, like he did last time. She did kinda save my life, so I for one am happy to help her out," I reassured him.

"Yes," he said, impatiently sighing off my acceptance, obviously he was not interested in Dallas. "But I do not like you being publicly involved. It will lead to questions about who you are." Even down the phone I could tell his mind was already working on this problem.

"Alcide's had some requests for us to go help with negotiations in other areas." I figured I might as well tell him the whole thing since we were talking about it. I wandered back into the living room, leaving the tea behind. Picking up my book from the couch, I put it away on the shelf, I already knew I wouldn't be reading any more of it tonight.

"I see, what did he tell them?" Eric was sounding dangerous again.

"That he had to speak with you and the others first," I said quickly, I didn't want him getting mad at Alcide too, they'd only just signed the treaty.

"Good." Finally, something he sounded pleased about. "We will minimise your involvement. Say that you are merely a pet, or a human with ties to both sides, so your house was used as neutral ground." I didn't say anything but I was a little hurt. Even without the pet comment (which had produced a little growl from me causing him to offer the alternative), I had worked hard on this project.

"I am only trying to keep you safe Sookie," Eric explained, obviously picking up on my emotions. "The more people that know about your ability, the more danger you will be in. Some will want to acquire you, others will only want to make sure your gift cannot be used against them." I clung a little tighter to the phone as his words reached me. Involuntarily glancing out my window to check no one was outside. As crazy at it might seem in the human world, taking a human from their home and whisking them away for your own use and/or amusement was considered perfectly normal to many supes. That reminded me.

"Did you know that Stan tried to buy me off of Bill?" Nobody had mentioned that to me before today and I wondered how formal the enquiry had been. Even though the offer had clearly been refused I still didn't like the idea that the real reason Bill had gone back to Dallas was to negotiate over me.

"He didn't." Eric seemed damned certain about that.

"Well that's not what Luna said." I was relieved the gossip in this case hadn't been true.

"_Luna_ should check her facts." Eric sounded disdainful at the shifter's misinformation. "Stan tried to buy you from _me_," he threw in casually.

"He what?" I spluttered in shock. "But I was with Bill when we went to Dallas." Was I missing something? Why had I never heard about this? Did Bill even know about it? Agitated I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder and started plumping cushions and rearranging the few knick-knacks that sat on top of the TV.

"Negotiations for your services were made through me." Eric was enjoying telling this story, laughter hovered under every word. "Stan was willing to take Bill as well, if necessary, but it was you he wanted." I hoped he could feel the strong wave of irritation I was making no effort to suppress as I banged a small fairy figurine down a little too hard, almost breaking it. (It had been a favourite of Gran's, though it wasn't the sort of thing she usually kept.)

"He tried to buy me _and_ Bill?" OK buying a human was one thing, but even vamps didn't trade each other – did they?

"He wasn't prepared to _pay_ for Bill," said Eric's disgustedly, making it clear that in his mind Bill wasn't worth buying. "But he agreed to accept him into his area, if that would be what it took to acquire you."

I was starting to worry exactly how far these negotiations had gone. Eric obviously felt my emotions shift from irritation to genuine concern as his tone was less teasing when he continued. "But you need not worry, I told him you were not for sale." I relaxed and chided myself for getting het up. Clearly no deal had taken place. And I knew Eric saw me as more than property. I was railing against nothing. Then Eric continued: "I had no intention of getting the blame for selling him a human that, while useful, is also unruly and far more trouble than one would expect." The humour was back in his voice as I huffed my indignation. Though I couldn't blame him for teasing me after my reaction.

"Are you calling me defective goods?" There was a hint of threat in my voice, one that would tell any normal man to be careful how they answered.

"No, not defective, just … temperamental." Eric was trying not to chuckle so I pushed him over the edge.

"Haemo-goblin!" His booming laugh echoed down the phone. For all his teasing I knew he had meant the comment about me not being for sale, that he really was trying to keep me safe, to protect me from those that would trade me like a baseball card.

I understood that this was what that whole 'sharing' thing had been about. As Patrick had said, if I didn't 'belong' to anyone, in the supe world that made me ripe for picking. I was glad Eric was looking out for me, at least he seemed to be on top of everything. Though I wished he'd taken the time to just explain all this to me before we did the blood thing. I decided I'd have to speak to him about that at some point, I still had questions about what I'd found out from Loki, but not tonight. With how much work we had to do and the Queen visiting we had enough on our plates.

There was one thing I had to mention.

"My pay check arrived," I said as neutrally as I could. There was a slight pause on the line before Eric responded.

"I thought it was appropriate. I hope it meets your satisfaction." I could hear the trademark smirk.

"It's adequate." The silence on the phone confirmed that once again Eric didn't feel this was a fitting description for his 'gracious plenty'. I allowed myself a little snigger. (Maybe I should have felt bad about using his amnesia against him but given that it was rare to have even the slightest advantage over him, I didn't.) Then, perched on a rare upper-hand, I raised the more serious point.

"Eric there is nothing _appropriate_ about you giving me naked pictures of yourself. What happens if I have to send it off to the IRS? Do all your staff get pay stubs like that?" Somehow I doubted it, though they mostly wouldn't mind. I'd finally stopped pacing round my house and sat back on the sofa.

"Everyone else works either for Fangtasia or for 'The Sheriff', _you_ work for _me_ so it is a separate business. As for the IRS, I'll have my accountant sort that out for you when you get your W9, it's part of your contract. Still you should make sure you keep all your pay slips somewhere safe just in case of emergencies." The smirk was back in his voice.

"I won't even ask what kind of emergency you're imagining where I will require beefcake," I said giving up. Eric laughed. He'd succeeded in calming me with our banter and I was ready to address the more immediate concern. I hadn't thought of any way out of the meeting, it would probably be better to just get it over with. "So the Queen, what do I … do I have to _curtsey_? What should I wear?"

"Leave that to me," said Pam from my front door. She'd somehow managed to open it and pose herself leaning casually against the frame without me hearing a thing.

"Good, Pam is there, I will see you shortly." Eric hung up.

[***]

Pam picked an outfit for me from my closet. I saw her smirking at the pay slip that I'd left on my dresser and I shoved it in a drawer. She turned to primp in front of the mirror while I got changed. She'd selected a white ankle-length dress that had a pearl sheen and an ocean-blue pattern. The light colour enhanced what there was of my tan while the blue added a dramatic splash of colour. I'd considered making an argument for one of my work outfits but the look on Pam's face dissuaded me, I supposed from their point of view it was their Queen I was meeting. Then she took care of my hair and make-up despite my protests that I could do it myself. It wasn't long before we were on the road.

As she drove my car to Shreveport (I'd wanted to drive but she, of course, was quicker to the car and wouldn't budge from the driver's seat), Pam tried to prepare me for the meeting while I focused on not being sick. The combination of the speed of her driving and my nerves was making it hard.

"Bow deeply, from the waist when introduced," she instructed, sounding like a schoolmarm. "Say as little as possible and do not speak at all unless asked a direct question," she added sternly as if this was most likely to be the mistake I made. "There is no reason for her to want to see you alone so Eric or I will be with you, if in doubt refer to us." Basically I was to play the good little human until the Queen left.

I cracked the window, only a little so it didn't mess my hair, and closed my eyes into the breeze for a moment. When I opened my eyes again to watch the familiar landscape rush by, I realised it wouldn't be long before we were there.

"Should I be worried about this?" I asked watching Pam's face, though she rarely gave anything away.

"Worried? No." I wasn't sure who she was trying to convince but it wasn't working on me. I twisted my hands together. She realised this and tsked. "She wants to be able to take the credit that is all. In order to do that, she has to know everything that happened. If it had gone wrong she would have denied all knowledge and claimed that Eric was acting rogue." There was something else going on but I was distracted by Pam's words.

"But she did know. Eric told me he was reporting to her," I said indignantly.

"The truth has very little to do with politics Sookie," she replied condescendingly. We turned onto the road that led to Fangtasia and I tried to prepare myself for the meeting ahead.

[***]

I didn't get a chance to speak to Eric first since the Queen was already there when we arrived. Pam ushered me ahead of her into his office where Queen Sophie-Ann Leclerq was sitting in his chair going on about how impressed everyone was with her. Eric was on his feet, facing her. He was wearing off-white slacks that displayed the curve of his cheeks perfectly with an ocean blue v-neck sweater that contrasted beautifully against his pale skin and made his eyes look brighter when they flittered briefly over my body. It was odd to see him standing in his own office showing deference to another. The Queen didn't acknowledge our entrance.

"The AVL loves the publicity, vampires working closely with their communities is good PR, and the other Kingdoms are impressed by our forward thinking and modern attitude. There have been a few other agreements of a similar nature in other states but ours is by far the best. It is the only one to include so many groups."

She was posed in Eric's chair like it was a throne, her hands resting delicately on the arms. "It is only a matter of time before the weres come out and the closer ties we have with them, the more control we will have over the process. It will be a disaster if the humans turn on them and we will suffer the backlash. I've even had a couple of calls from Europe and Asia congratulating my leadership in this matter," she slipped in as if it were an afterthought.

Eric nodded with his head tipped slightly to one side as if to say 'of course'. She watched him closely for a moment looking for any sarcasm in the gesture but seemed happy enough given the little smile she wore after this inspection.

"Have you your figures for this quarter? I might as well look at them while I am here." She looked bored at the very thought.

"Of course your Majesty. Might I access my desk?" I could see now why the Queen kept looking at Eric the way she did. There was nothing you could point to in his manner, movement or tone that was anything but respectful yet he was somehow not coming across as subordinate. He showed her deference by choice nothing more.

"Yes. I do not like your chair, you should get a new one," she said standing elegantly.

"I am a little hard on them, Pam bought several of these, they are sturdier than most," Eric responded with a slight smile. The Queen gave a tinkle of a laugh.

As she moved I took my first proper look at her. She was small, delicate even, and very young when she was made a vampire, a teenager, maybe 18 at the most but probably younger. She was dressed in a navy silk pant-suit, that flattered her figure. The jacket was only clinched at the waist and she wore it with nothing underneath which displayed her creamy skin to advantage and teased the eye with the imminent appearance of her breasts – though they never did quite show. She moved with confidence and grace, power radiated from her. The silk whispered across the otherwise silent room as she glided 'round Eric's desk and sat in one of the chairs facing his, again as if it were a throne. He brushed past me as he moved 'round to his chair, his musky scent reassuring in the dangerous atmosphere. Pam tugged lightly on the back of my dress to get me to move also. We both took up position slightly behind and to the side of him. I was now between Pam and Eric, I didn't think that was accidental.

Once I'd moved, I spotted another 'teenage' vampire leaning against the wall facing Eric's desk that I hadn't noticed before. He looked even younger than the Queen when turned but he might as well have had a big ol' flashing light over his head and 'Danger' stickers all over him. Over a simple pants and cord-tied shirt, that wouldn't have looked out of place in a film about native Americans, he bristled with weapons and his face was blank, though his eyes were very alert. I looked away from him quickly, he gave me the creeps. I kept my eyes on the floor noting several over scrubbed patches of carpet around Eric's chair.

Eric pulled some papers out of a drawer and handed them to the Queen. She glanced at them briefly then tossed them back on the desk.

"These look fine." Finally she flickered her eyes to me. "So this is her? She's a sweet looking thing isn't she." I felt unpleasantly warm under her gaze and my throat constricted as I forced myself to be polite.

"Your Majesty." I bowed deeply as Pam had instructed though it felt really stupid and I had to make sure not to catch anyone's eye or I would have laughed.

"Andre, go get a human from the bar." The heavily armed vampire started to move causing several blades to rasp against each other but she held up a hand, "On second thoughts, Pamela you go, Andre might cause a stir." Pam bowed deeply even though Sophie-Ann barely glanced at her and nipped out the door.

She was back in a minute with a fang-banger who had been glamoured into only speaking if asked to. The fug of sweaty bodies clung to the girl along with a sharp hint of alcohol, the cheap perfume she'd bathed in added a gag factor as an undertone.

"Hello my dear," purred the Queen and patted her lap. The fang-banger went and sat on it. The Queen stroked her hair then pulled her into an embrace and nipped her neck. After a few seconds she released the girl and Andre stepped forward. He glamoured the fang-banger into forgetting the faces in the room and Pam showed her out.

"So Sookie, what was she thinking?" The Queen looked at me expectantly. I glanced at Eric and he nodded almost imperceptibly. The Queen looked impressed by this little interaction.

"She thought you were beautiful but she was scared of Andre," I said as succinctly as possible. I wasn't sure if I should use his name but that was what the Queen had called him and no one had introduced us. I didn't think 'the creepy teen vamp' would go down well. Another sharp metallic chink sounded when I mentioned his name. Since I knew how capable vamps were of keeping still I could only assume this was deliberate.

"That's all?" Sophie-Ann seemed disappointed.

"It's not like reading a book," I tried to explain after Eric flickered a finger to let me know to expand on what I'd said. "There are lots of thoughts but they all sort of wiggle in and out of each other." She looked much more interested now and nodded that I should continue. My train of thought was broken by the multi-hued light that danced around the room, reflected from chandelier earrings and the ropes of gems she'd wound around her neck and wrists. As a moving glare made me blink I understood the reason she wore such shiny jewels. "Well, at first she was excited because she thought she was being brought to Eric and there were these memories of seeing him in the bar and …" I blushed but pushed on, "fantasies she'd had about him. Then she was disappointed that you were here because she thought you were prettier than her and Eric would choose you. She remembered boys at school choosing her friends over her. But then you smiled at her and she realised you were a vampire." I paused trying to think through what else I'd picked up.

The Queen interrupted my thoughts.

"What did Andre do to her?" There was a sharpness in her gaze. I got the feeling she was testing me for something.

"He glamoured her," I said uncertainly.

"To do what?" She was very interested in this. I worried where this was leading but I couldn't stop answering now.

"Well, I didn't hear it. Her brain went kinda fuzzy, like white noise, but as she walked out our faces in her head were all blurred so I guessed he glamoured her to forget who was in the room." She smiled at me.

"Fascinating. Andre?" As she looked over her shoulder at him they shared a look of deep affection. More than just a body guard then.

"That was part of it," he said quietly. Sophie-Ann seemed satisfied and relaxed back in her chair.

I threw a worried glance at Eric to see if I'd done right which she caught, her expression softened ever so slightly.

"I don't mean to treat you like a party trick," she sounded genuine, "I just wanted to see how it worked. Such a useful skill." She looked me over like a juicy steak and I forced myself to stay still as I lowered my eyes.

"It can be, but mostly it's a curse," I said. Even though I didn't look up I felt Andre glare at me. "Your Majesty," I added quickly throwing in another little bow for good measure before glancing up at them to see if I was in trouble. She closed her eyes for a second and Andre, who had indeed been staring at me with a look that clearly indicated an intention to do some damage, went back to his blank expression.

"You have struggled with it?" She asked kindly, returning her attention to me.

"Yes Ma'am, I cannot turn it off you see, well not without great effort." I kept my voice humble.

"Hmm, yes that would be a curse. Most humans are boring enough when they talk, without having to hear every thought as well. But you have learnt to block the thoughts I understand." She was avoiding Eric's eye, though he hadn't moved.

"Yes, Ma'am." Had Eric told her that? I didn't mind if he had, I understood that he'd have to answer her questions about me if she was interested, which she clearly was. I could only hope she wasn't too interested.

"Sheriff Northman tells me you have been receiving calls from weres." I got the feeling she was deliberately talking to me rather than Eric as some sort of point but I had no idea what it might be. I could only continue to answer politely and briefly as Pam had instructed.

"Yes your Majesty."

"And you have been dealing with these?" The slight lilt in her voice didn't give her away but I suddenly realised why she was talking to me over Eric, I was glad I'd merely fielded the calls and passed on the information.

"No Ma'am. I've been handing the details over to Eric and Alcide." Her eyes flicked to Eric.

"Alcide Herveaux is the local Were pack-master," he informed her. You'd have thought she'd at least have bothered to learn that, if she was planning on taking credit for the whole thing.

"Of course. Well good." She gave me a quick smile. "She's had your blood," she stated to Eric, dismissing me from the conversation but not the room.

"It was necessary during the negotiations, for her protection and ours." Eric dismissed the matter as purely practical but I got the impression the Queen didn't believe him. Could she tell how long I'd had his blood in me? Her focus was completely on Eric and she seemed to have forgotten me. Or at least that I was standing there as she went on to talk about me as if I wasn't.

"I heard she was hard to manage but I was misinformed, she heels well enough for you it seems. Most impressive Northman." When I glanced at his face, Eric seemed slightly tenser. I was caught for a moment by the rainbows from the Queen's necklace dancing across the planes of his face. Someone was reporting on me to her? Someone other than Eric. Who? And why? "Many questioned my appointing you sheriff. Your loyalty is well known but so is your tendency to bend the rules," Eric allowed himself a small smile which she shared. "I have always admired your initiative and in this instance it has served us well. I would never have considered sending a human in as mediator, not one I wanted back anyway. From what you tell me though it would not have been possible to negotiate this deal without her." She was thinking around something, her questions had a point she was not stating.

"Sookie has been instrumental in setting the treaty up, as she will be in maintaining it during these difficult early stages. As she has Friend of the Pack status, the Weres are more amenable to negotiations via her, also she can represent us during the day. I think it important that we keep her involvement as quiet as possible for that reason." She wanted to either take me with her or advertise me in some way, maybe both. I didn't let my eyes flick to Andre but I knew he was looking at me. Every time he shifted to glare at me the movement was accompanied by a threatening click and jangle of blades as his weapons sharpened against each other and the hairs on the back of my neck lifted. I was overwhelmingly grateful that Eric had my back.

"I see." The Queen seemed to be evaluating Eric for a long moment but when she spoke she sounded disinterested. "Well, if you think it best I suppose that is fine, for now," she hedged.

"Thank you your Majesty." Eric dipped his head to her.

"I almost feel bad about sending Bill to seduce her," she said lightly.

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A/N: More tomorrow xx


	35. Growling Vampire, Hidden Telepath

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Thanks as always to my wonderful beta treewitch703 :) She puts up with far more crazy from me than anyone should have to. **

**Apologies I have had no time to get back to people today but thank you all for your reviews I love reading your thoughts and messages :) Hopefully I will find more time tomorrow but for now I've focused on getting this chapter up for you. Love to all xx**

**Warning: This chapter makes reference to sexual violence. There are neither details, descriptions, nor explicit language regarding the event but references are made to the attack from the books and the circumstances surrounding it.**

* * *

**Chapter 35: Growling Vampire, Hidden Telepath.**

**Dating Don't: Don't lie and cheat your way into someone's life and expect to get away with it, especially when your boss is more than happy to out you. **

"_I almost feel bad about sending Bill to seduce her," she said lightly._

It seemed the Queen had abandoned 'work' for the moment. Her shoes hit the carpet with a one-two thud as she let them slip off her feet, an echo of what I had done in that very same chair just days ago. Indicating a move to a more informal audience, she pulled her feet up to sit cross-legged. It made her look even younger. She was going to get her silk pants all scrunched up but she didn't look worried. "I understand from his reports that she enjoyed the process but it seems it was unnecessary. She works just as well for you and you're not fucking her – unless there's something I don't know." She looked back and forth between Eric and me. He remained stoic under inspection as always. I was frozen to the spot. My face was blank, reflecting my suddenly blank mind.

"He didn't tell you?" She asked returning her focus to him.

"He did not." The air in Eric's office was oppressively still.

"Hmm," the Queen raised her eyebrows incredulously "I told him ages ago he could. After you made your agreement with her for her services and then sneaked some of your blood into her," she laughed clearly impressed. That explained her reaction to the discussion about his blood earlier. "Like I said, Eric, I've always admired your initiative. I should have known you'd disrupt Bill's project once you knew what she was." She appeared perfectly happy with the way things had gone, I got the impression she liked Eric, or admired him at least.

"You mustn't punish him," she continued, and pouted a little. She reminded me so much of an actress in one of the old-time movies Gran and I used to watch. Greta Garbo, maybe. "He was following my orders. I wanted the telepath at my disposal but from what her cousin had told me I didn't think force was the way to go. It made sense to send in a 'boyfriend'. Human girls will do anything for their man, I've heard songs about it. I was told human men avoided her so she was bound to be susceptible." Eric remained expressionless and Sophie-Ann seemed to read this as disapproval. "You'd have done the same thing in my position." He still gave no response. "I could hardly have asked _you_ to do it, I was providing a 'boy-next-door,' type. These small town country girls have strict courting rituals, taking things slow, meeting the family, monogamy," she pointed out with a sense of reading down a list. The tiny part of my brain that was able to be objective had to acknowledge her argument had some merit.

The rest of me was trying to focus enough to stay upright. I felt hot and cold at once. Bill wasn't the only person to betray me. The only cousin I had was Hadley who I hadn't seen or heard from in years. _What is wrong with the air conditioning? I felt like I was suffocating._ I had no idea how the Queen knew Hadley but I had to admit to myself, if I _had_ known, it wouldn't have surprised me that she'd spill all my secrets. As long as there were no more nasty surprises I thought I could hold it together enough until the Queen left, which I hoped would be very soon. Then I'd be looking for a stake.

Sophie-Ann paused to lustfully run her eyes over Pam. The dull thump of a bass beat from the bar pulsed against the outside of the room, trying to break in but not quite managing it. The Queen turned back to Eric. He maintained his expressionless gaze and when the she started to speak again I realised why. It was a very effective method of making someone talk. I suspected it wouldn't usually work on a vampire as old as Sophie Ann but I think she really did feel a bit bad about her plan, the guilt loosened her tongue. Oddly I found I really didn't hate her, we didn't know each other well enough for that. In _her_ mind she was providing something I wanted (a man) in order to get something she wanted (a telepath). Bill _did_ know me though, and still he'd used me and lied to me. I couldn't think about that yet, I focused back on the Queen.

"Of course you have already punished him anyway, by your arrangement with her. He was quite upset about it. Having got rid of one protector so he could get unrestrained access and consummate their relationship, he then had _you_ step in and make a deal with her, putting her under your protection instead." She laughed delightedly. "He wanted me to order you off but I was curious to see how it worked out. Besides I was hardly going to risk problems with all my sheriffs by overriding a protection order – over a human! I'd never be allowed to forget it."

I carefully kept my face blank to hide my confusion. What protector had Bill gotten rid of? And what did she mean about Eric putting me under his protection? No one had mentioned anything to me about that. I'd said I'd read minds for him, as long as he didn't kill anyone, I didn't realise there had been any more to it.

Now that I'd thought about it, Eric _had_ come to watch over me in Dallas, I'd thought at the time he was just checking up on me but then he'd sent Bubba when Bill was taken. He'd come to Jackson too, even though he'd already provided Alcide as protection and he'd stayed with me when I was staked. Even Charles had been sent to watch over me. Sure, he'd turned out to be what I needed protecting _from_ but Eric hadn't known that. Eric had been protecting me this whole time, and he hadn't even said anything, hadn't tried to use it to his advantage, he'd just done it. Bill had always gone on about how dangerous Eric was, how everything he did was for selfish reasons, he'd never told me the sheriff was protecting me.

Eric had changed expression by narrowing his eyes a smidge at the Queen, she looked uncomfortable for a moment but then pouted exaggeratedly looking up through her lashes.

"Well don't look at me like that, Hadley's already had a tantrum over it." She returned to a more regal tone. "She was quite attached to her 'Gran' apparently. And it's not like he killed her, he just didn't stop some crazy human from doing it. He needed free access to Sookie and took an opportunity to gain it. It worked didn't it? Besides the woman was old, she probably would have died by now anyway, better to go quickly. Stab, stab, voilà, il est terminé." I locked my knees and face to give nothing away as rage, betrayal and grief rampaged through me. Bill could have saved Gran from Rene but chose not to so he could … It felt like ice was crawling its way through my veins. As the frost reached my heart, it shattered.

I saw Eric twitch, it was an odd action, especially on him, and it distracted me completely. What did it mean? Sophie-Ann was looking at him curiously.

"You really didn't know about any of this?"

"No." It seemed to me blue fire danced in his eyes.

"Well it makes no difference now, we all have what we want. You have control of her, Bill gets to fuck her and I can use her talent whenever I wish." I noticed my wants didn't come into it. Also that Bill had told her we were still a couple. I was so torn between anguish and fury it was taking all my control not to burst out in hysterical laughter._ Don't think about it Sookie, not yet, wait until they've left._ The Queen unfolded herself, smoothed her pants and resettled with her legs crossed. "And I meant what I said, you are not to punish him," she continued. "Well no more than you already are, I understand he is restricted at present," she looked merely curious rather than bothered.

"I instructed him to protect Sookie when we received reports of an assassin in the area," Eric reported. "He chose to leave her alone while he went to his house instead. As he was prepared to leave her vulnerable I decided he should experience the feeling. He has been locked into a silver-boned corset to slow his movements and weaken him. He has also been instructed to drink nothing but synthetic blood until his punishment is complete," Eric _sounded_ almost bored. _How could Bill __…__ No! Not yet!_

"It's fitting I suppose, but then I heard your punishments usually are. I'd love to know why you made him regrow a kidney – but that can wait. Bill has requested to stay in Area 5. It seems he's become sentimental about his old home. As his project was completed satisfactorily, I have granted his request. He will continue as your investigator." This last was a command and a strongly given one at that.

"As you wish." There was something powerful in Eric's eyes but it was indecipherable and his voice remained disinterested. _Gran_ … The Queen was still talking in the background but her voice sounded a long way off.

"Sookie will continue working for you also. I understand they work well together so it should not be a problem for them to remain a team. I heard very good things from Stan in Texas – you know he's King now."

"I heard."

Since I was forcing myself to focus on the details of the conversation rather than the subject matter, I noted that Eric was being very taciturn. If I didn't know better I'd think he was in pain and trying to hide it – but he hadn't been injured. Even if he had been, he heals so quickly, it didn't make sense. But part of me remained aware I was focusing on these things to avoid thinking about … I felt myself sway slightly. The Queen's eyes swung towards me. Her expression was slightly concerned but mostly confused.

"Pam, take Sookie home and stay with her," said Eric sharply. Sophie-Ann looked back at him but didn't object. I was incapable of moving myself. Pam guided me out the door with a firm arm round my waist then picked me up once Eric's office was behind us. As she walked through the bar, me bridal style in her arms, several people looked at us curiously but no one approached until we got near the door. Then Bill was before us.

"Pam what happened? Is she hurt?" His voice was full of concern and he reached towards me. I felt myself shrink back into Pam's arms and she growled at Bill so menacingly, at any other time I would have been terrified of her. As it was, I felt incredibly safe in the arms of the creature that would make that sound in my defence. The lights dimmed. A black mist filled my senses. I gave myself over to her and shut off from everything else.

[***]

Pam must have gotten me home somehow and into bed as that was where I seemed to be. I could almost see myself lying there, still as a corpse and as stiff. I recalled I had hidden myself away, trusting in Pam to protect me. I wasn't sure what was worse, Bill's betrayal of me, or my betrayal of Gran in letting him into our lives. I turned my back on those thoughts. I wasn't ready to deal with it yet. Instead, curious, I mentally examined myself. I was still in that other place, somewhere inside myself where no one could get me, but it was like I was looking out of a small window to the world beyond. Or more, listening at a keyhole. I couldn't see anything directly but was building a picture from what I could hear and what I knew.

For example, I knew Pam was in the room with me, I could hear her in my closet looking through my clothes. And when I heard footsteps walk in, I knew they belonged to Eric. In my head he was wearing what he had been in his office when … I stopped listening at the keyhole for a moment and fled toward oblivion. It can't have been too much later when I came back to listen again, Pam and Eric were still in my room.

They were going through what we'd learned from the Queen. That Bill had been sent to seduce me. That after the deal I'd made with Eric, to read humans for him as long as he didn't kill them, worked out so well, Sophie-Ann realised Bill's seduction was unnecessary, that she could just hire me if she wanted. Bill had been given permission to inform me why he'd come into my life and assigned the new task of creating the database. He had also been instructed to inform Eric. He had done neither.

"Why didn't she have Sookie leave before discussing it? She might be a stone cold bitch when it comes to her position and business but that was unnecessarily cruel," Pam was saying disgustedly.

"Sophie-Ann intended to punish _Bill_ by telling Sookie that he failed to save her Grandmother. His assignment was to secure the telepath for the Queen's exclusive use, he failed. She will not have considered that she is punishing Sookie far worse." I couldn't stand any talk of him. Emotions swirled inside me like the wake of a 'gator's tail, the the echo of its power battering me against my own insides.

Every moment I'd ever spent with Bill seemed to be replaying in my mind, only now I could see the truth of it. The way he'd manipulated me, the way I'd been so blind to what he was really like. Right from the get-go he'd behaved like an overseer, getting frustrated and forceful when I didn't comply with what he wanted, only backing off when I confronted him about it.

All the help with my telepathy, that was just a way to make me more useful, a better asset. But worse than that was that I'd let myself believe he loved me. It seemed what everyone had always said about me was true, I was stupid and crazy. And Gran … There was too much inside my body, too much pain and guilt and anger and hurt. Thoughts were tributaries of emotion, joining the flow, crushing me, but there was no way out, there was only deeper in. I retreated again.

[~~~]

On first waking the next morning, I wondered if I had to work. What day was it? What had I been doing last … I sat up and opened my eyes, looking for anything to stem the tide of knowledge coming back but it was too late, it flooded in on me. Absently I went to the bathroom, then I just stood, feeling adrift, not sure what to do. Turbulent waters battled inside me as contrary flows pushed against each other. One part of me reaching for the oblivion I'd found the night before, while another part was fighting it, trying to stay in the conscious world. The high water mark of my emotions seemed to rise inside me, unable to escape, making me feel squeezed against the edges of my own body under the pressure. Only by not feeling, could I function at all.

I forced my feelings down as much as I could. There was something nagging at the edge of my mind. Something I knew but didn't know. My thoughts skittered around trying peel up the edges of a firmly stuck band-aid without causing more pain.

The kitchen.

I fixed coffee and cereal, sinking into robot mode to prevent that strange internal crushing sensation from immobilising me again.

The phone rang.

I hesitated.

I eventually picked up on the forth ring.

It was Alcide. He'd heard the Queen had come to town and was checking everything was OK. I reassured him that she was pleased with the way things had gone but that Eric was not real happy with the idea of us going off to help with other negotiations. Alcide sounded unsurprised, possibly even relieved to hear it. There was an awkward silence. Then, on impulse, I voiced a question I should have asked a long time ago.

It was as if Alcide had been waiting for me to ask, even though I'd always shied away from the topic. He paused only a moment before telling me what I needed to know. I found I was able to listen with detachment. I didn't fall apart or scream or cry, I didn't even process it really. I knew the very lack of response from me was another clue to the puzzle box I was trying to open.

When he'd finished, Alcide asked me if I was OK, his concern caused a wobble as the wave of emotions threatened to break through. I told him I was fine and hung up. Rescinding Bill's invitation to my house, which I did with cold practicality, made me feel a little calmer briefly.

I was sure the power of my emotions would kill me if I let them loose. It felt like all the grief for Gran had returned, only this time it had edges. Before it had been like sand scraping across my soul, now those little grains were shards of glass ribboning my insides. There was also the anger from the ways Bill had betrayed me. The one good thing in my life at that time had been Bill, now to know that it was all a lie, a lie that was the reason she had died. There was a part of me fighting against it, trying to tell me it was a mistake, that Bill would never do that to me, but I knew _that_ part of me was wrong. I tried to root it out but it went too deep.

[~~~]

It was night. I was in that place between waking and sleeping where you can hear but not move. Wilfully I stayed there. As before, I was able to build up a picture without opening my eyes. A dog howled outside and I thought it might be Dean. It felt like I had barely slept at all, except to slip into the occasional nightmare, but I must have. Pam was speaking with Eric again.

"Sookie will think we knew?"

"I do not know. I am not sure she thinks at all. She is inundated right now, I feel too much from her, I cannot tell one feeling apart from the others. It is like when she is overwhelmed by human thoughts only now it is with emotions. She feels crushed under them." Cool fingers brushed over the back of my hand. "Sophie-Ann refused to remove Bill from the area. I am not allowed to … He will stay on the staff. He is her spy in my camp, the fact that he and I do not get along works for her."

"And if Sookie doesn't recover?" Pam sounded frustrated.

"She will." There was a fierce determination in Eric's voice and I felt a tugging inside me.

Pam's voice was muffled when she spoke again and I suspected she was now trying on my clothes.

"Is there anything else he hasn't told us?"

"I am sure there is plenty but Sophie-Ann did give me Bill's file on Sookie. His behaviour has been worse than I suspected. It confirms what she told me, that he was her first lover. She was unable to get close to humans because of her ability." I flinched away from the meaning of the conversation and just enjoyed the smooth baritone of his voice while I examined that strange internal sensation. I realised that Eric was trying to reach me through his blood. When she answered, Pam's voice came from much further away but I still heard her.

"Urgh! It was probably like sex by numbers, no flare or passion at all. Poor girl. Thank fuck she's had you too and knows that isn't all there is." It was weird to listen to a discussion of my sex life with me feeling almost as much detachment as Pam. But none of it seemed personal, it was like they were speaking of someone else entirely. Some other poor stupid girl who … I retreated from that line of thought. Eric grabbed my hand tightly and the pulling became even stronger than before. I focused on Eric. I wanted to let him know I was OK but couldn't stand the idea of the conversation that would happen if I surfaced.

"I don't remember it, it might have been terrible," he was trying to sound flippant but with his reaching out to me internally I knew he wasn't. Something about not remembering really bothered him.

"You told me she said otherwise." Pam clearly had no patience for what she saw as Eric being less than serious.

"She said that _I_ said it was good, she never told me …" some of Eric's doubts had crept into his voice and I could almost see Pam look at him in shock. There was a moment of silence, then I heard hangers being shuffled in the closet again and Pam's voice rang out, full of forced nonchalance.

"Please, you do not look at a man the way she looks at you unless you've called down the thunder in his name, trust me on that."

"Bill was very upset about the sharing, though he thinks I only gave her blood. His influence was greatly reduced. My blood has gone some way to stopping him insinuating himself further but it cannot undo what was already done, she was too much in the habit of trusting him, too tied to him emotionally." Eric was playing with my fingers and my mind turned to that rather than his words. My insides seemed to be pulling in several directions at once and if I was more connected to my body I suspected I'd be writhing in agony.

"I am almost certain now, that he has given her more of his blood, since the sharing. When I came here after Patrick was killed, I could smell him very strongly. I had planned to talk to her about it as soon as the treaty was dealt with, to warn her, and now … I have since learned from the file that when she refused to take it voluntarily he started putting small amounts in her drinks whenever the opportunity presented itself. Not enough to make a big impact but the build up over time will have given him a lot of influence over her feelings, especially with regular proximity. He wanted to regain as much control over her as he could, since she is resistant to glamour."

"Resistant? I thought she was immune."

"No, she can be glamoured, if she allows it. I glamoured her myself once, to separate her from her pain."

All the little pieces were coming together. Hearing Eric's words, I felt something click into place. There were memories that were just out of reach, hidden within my own mind.

I thought back over my more recent interactions with Bill, all the times he'd handed me a drink; just before we'd kissed on my couch after bowling, on my porch before the first treaty meeting, in my kitchen when I'd nearly … every time felt like a violation, just like … A hazy memory, the conversations started by Alcide and Eric that I'd always shied away from and had finally asked Alcide about earlier that day, it all came together in one sickening crunch. I spun back to that moment in my mind.

That night in Jackson, I'd managed to hold on until Eric had opened the trunk, but feeling the safety of his presence I'd let myself fall into the waiting darkness. I'd heard since that in the next moment Eric had thrown Bill out of the way and rushed me up to Alcide's apartment. That Bill had followed and insisted on being let in.

Eric and Alcide had conceded but only because of the danger to us all if Bill was seen by the wrong people. Their priority had been saving my life, that wouldn't be possible if they had to fight off an attack. I reconstructed the events from everything I'd heard, learned and knew of the characters involved. For the first time since it happened I let myself really feel it, the freezing terror of laying in a trunk in the dark waiting for a hungry vampire to awake.

**3rd Person POV – Sunday 19th December 2004, Jackson, Mississippi. **

Eric awoke feeling fear. It was not an emotion he experienced often these days and he knew immediately it was not his own. The sun had not fully set so there was nothing he could do as yet. The vampire Bernard was on top of him and he shifted slightly trying to get more comfortable. For all that the young vampire was Sookie's size he did nothing for the Viking. Eric was glad the youth had fallen to the sun so early, making it unnecessary for him to continue the façade beyond a little flirting and petting.

Just the night before Eric had given Sookie a lot of blood. He was still a little surprised at himself. Very few times in his existence had he given his blood at all, and to give so much … but she had needed it. He had enjoyed the experience more than he wanted to admit, the sensation of her sucking on his arm, feeling the tumultuous connection grow into him, making his blood rush. He would never admit to Pam how excited he'd become, that through the act of her drinking alone he had climaxed. He would never tell his child how he'd shown less control than a young vampire under the lips of the sweet tasting human, or that he'd almost completed a sharing right there in Russell's guest room.

Even the memory excited him, it was best to focus on something else. He explored the tendrils of her that now coursed through his body, trying to work out what might be happening through her feelings. She was afraid but in an anticipatory way; she was waiting for something bad to happen. Did she succeed in getting that idiot Compton away? Of course from a political point of view it would be better if he survived but Eric was tempted to see that he did not.

Before Bernard had even properly roused, Eric heard enough from beyond the coffin they were sharing to know Sookie _had_ been successful. Though at this point Lorena was being held responsible since she too was missing. He thought that probably she had gone into hiding when she realised Bill was gone. Being able to resist the sun later and rise earlier than most vampires was her skill.

It was easy to extract himself once Bernard woke. They didn't want any strangers about as they investigated and in staying with 'Curly' (as Sookie referred to him) Eric had 'proved his innocence' in the matter to the King's satisfaction. Ironically Eric didn't even have to lie in order to make his exit. The King himself asked, with less composure than you'd expect of a vampire in his position, if 'Lief' would kindly check on Alcide and his human girlfriend. Russell tried to suggest he was asking because he felt contrite at having asked Sookie to leave so soon after being injured but it was clear that he just wanted Lief gone.

Eric left on foot, taking to the air only when he was far enough from the house not to be spotted, very few vampires could fly. By this point Sookie's anticipated fear had become real and Eric moved as fast as he could while cursing whatever new danger had assailed the troublesome telepath, existence would never be dull around that one.

To his surprise the call in his blood took him to exactly where Sookie had told him she would be. He quickly spotted the Lincoln he had 'liberated'. Looking at the hole punched through from inside the trunk he worried that Bill had managed to open it and pull Sookie inside in his hunger, but then he heard them whispering to each other and thought maybe the thorn in his side had finally served some purpose and pulled Sookie into the trunk to protect her from whatever threat had caused her earlier fear. It had subsided now, though something was still wrong. Had she been hurt? The scent of her blood permeated the musty air of the underground parking garage.

Rushing to the car he opened the trunk to find them laying together, looking at first glance annoyingly cosy. Then, as he asked what they were doing, Sookie turned her head to look at him and passed out exposing the large wound in her neck. In the same moment Eric noticed the evidence of what else Bill had been helping himself to and in one smooth sweep he pulled the young vampire from the car, flinging him carelessly against the nearest concrete post.

Trying to balance between careful and quick, Eric extracted Sookie from the car and cradled her in his arms. As fast as he dared, he flew her to Alcide's. He was about to kick his way through the door when it opened revealing the Were, who was on his way out. Shocked by Eric's presence, Alcide instinctively crouched in defence.

"She needs blood now," Eric ordered, forcing Alcide to straighten quickly and move aside as he walked through the space where the Were had been, barely giving him time to get out of the way.

"Eric, what the fuck?" Springing after the vampire, Alcide's eyes took in the woman in Eric's arms. "What happened?" He spotted the still seeping wound in her neck. "Fuck!" He didn't need to glance at the rock hard face to know Eric was not the responsible party, the anger radiating off him made that clear enough.

The furious vampire was still looking at him expectantly. "I don't have any," Alcide admitted apologetically. For the first time in his life he really wished he was in the habit of entertaining vamps.

"Let me in, I'll heal her," came a voice from the doorway making Alcide spin and snarl at the new vampire in surprise before asking:

"Who the fuck are you?" Bill was wrapped in the quilt Sookie had covered him with at Russell's, looking battered but healing.

"Sookie is mine," he said coldly to the Were. Eric snarled at him.

"I think you have claimed her quite enough for one night, now hide yourself before you are seen and we have Russell's whole force here to contend with."

"I'm not leaving Sookie," Bill insisted. Eric growled but Sookie's heart was slowing, there was no time to argue about this.

"You will have to let him in," Eric said reluctantly to the Were. Begrudgingly Alcide extended the invite, and closed the door.

He promptly yanked the cover off Bill and led Eric to the spare room, laying the quilt over the bedding for extra comfort. He turned his worried eyes to the ancient vampire. Sookie didn't look good. He knew the other vamp had followed them but both he and Eric ignored Bill.

Eric was thinking fast. Sookie could not have vampire blood. After having a lot of his last night then loosing so much, even a small amount could turn her. Since the Were didn't have any synthetic he would have to go and get some. Bill could not go, if he was seen they might be attacked before Sookie could be helped. It was quicker for him to go than Alcide, besides it would raise no questions, but that would mean leaving Bill here with Sookie, since there was no time to hide him elsewhere first.

"Watch her while I go for blood," he ordered Alcide. "If he attempts to touch her while I am gone, stake him." There was no time to do more, Sookie was slipping away. He swept out without so much as a glance at Bill.

Though, given the circumstances, Eric made the best decision he could to save Sookie's life, he couldn't help but wonder, looking back later, if he should have done things differently, if the feelings he'd complained about to Sookie had clouded his judgement preventing him from seeing all the threats that hovered.

As Eric left, Alcide tried to position Sookie so she'd be more comfortable. The movement roused her and a slight noise passed her lips.

"She needs water," said Bill, "the blood loss has dehydrated her." Alcide looked at him suspiciously. "I will stay here, at the end of the bed, leave the door open and you will be able to see me," Bill spoke with exasperation as if Alcide were being unreasonable but it was the rough moan and flutter of eyelids from Sookie that made the Were move.

While he was in the kitchen filling a jug with water and grabbing a glass he could hear the vampire murmuring in comforting tones to Sookie, too quietly for even the Were's sharp ears to pick up, but as Bill had promised, he didn't move from the end of the bed.

Back in the room Sookie was trying desperately to open her eyes. The world was spinning too fast and if she could just make her eyes open she thought she could slow it down. A voice was calling to her but she was hurt and terrified so she couldn't answer. She wasn't sure where she was or what had happened to her, the pain and fear were blocking every rational thought. Forcing her lids apart a crack, through sheer determination, she managed to make out a shadowy figure looking at her.

"Let me help you," begged the figure. "I will make it better," he promised. There was something she was missing, but she was too confused and couldn't focus. "Let me take the pain," said the voice again. She felt him trying to pull her gaze into his. Take the pain? Yes … there was something … that had been done before, it had helped. If the pain was gone she'd be able to think and work out what was happening. She tried to meet his eyes.

Once Sookie let him in, Bill did as he'd promised. He took the pain of her attack all right. Or he tried to. He tried to erase _her_ memory of what he'd done and replace it with his own version of events. He wanted to protect himself from her retribution by making himself a victim. He told her mind to view his actions as justified since they were beyond his control. He tried to overwrite her feelings and reactions with how he wanted her to feel. She _needed_ him in her life, he told her mind, she would forgive him hurting her because she knew he cared. She could trust him, no matter what.

Then Alcide was trying to drip water on her lips to moisten her mouth without risk of choking her. A moment later Eric returned too and the job of getting the blood into Sookie began.

Maybe he was stupid not to glamour away all his betrayals, the non-physical ways he'd hurt her. Or maybe he was being smart knowing changing her too much would be noticed by others, by Eric whose scent clung to her in a disturbing way. Maybe he didn't have enough time with the Were rushing back and Sookie losing consciousness again. Or maybe it was just that Sookie's mind never really gave him full access. But Bill's glamour, though affecting the ways Sookie reacted to him, did not give him the control over her he wanted.

When Sookie awoke and to Eric's surprise made no reference to the attack she'd suffered, Bill thought he'd succeeded. He wasted no time in planting himself firmly at her side. She was his after all. It was later that he began to realise that he'd been only partly successful.

What Sookie would later think of as a locked door behind which she'd hidden that time in the trunk of a Lincoln, was in fact more like a picture that had been painted over with a different one, one of Bill's artistry. In certain lights Sookie's version could be seen, and the removal of that top layer of Bill paint would reveal the original in full.

In the mean time a vital part of the telepath was altered, the part of her that confronted things head on, that spoke up for herself, was muted. Bad glamour jobs could cause all sorts of permanent damage, the only good thing about what had been done to Sookie was that it could also be undone, that her true personality remained intact underneath, but you cannot fix what you do not know is broken. Feeling confident that it could not happen, the thought of what had been done to her never crossed her glamoured mind.

Unfortunately the same inability to fully glamour the truth from Sookie that frustrated Bill, also prevented Eric from realising what the younger vampire had done. Despite Bill's efforts, Sookie still pulled away from him that night and asked Eric to take her home. She still displayed every sign of wanting to break from Bill permanently.

The glamour did prevent her confronting her neighbour or even herself with what happened but its incomplete nature meant there were still sparks of her natural reaction that leaked through. Her essential self had been muffled but it was still there, thwarting Bill time and time again as he worked to get control of her. Instinctive flashes pushed through the obscurity and it was these that convinced Eric she was dealing with things in her own way. If that way was incomprehensible to the Viking, well much of Sookie's reasoning was. Who was he to tell her how she should deal with her trauma?

Bill thought he'd be able to bring her round when she let him brush her hair the following night. He smugly believed that his heroics in coming to her rescue again, this time against the thugs in her house, had worked like before, that things would return to normal. Through the blood he ensured she recalled, in full and present detail, more pleasant physical relations as extra insurance, which seemed to be working. But then she'd rescinded his invitation.

When he did get her to talk to him she wasn't inclined to acknowledge his ownership of her, though it was his infidelity that she cited since the other had been glossed over. Bill wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the human of a vampire getting sensitive about another woman, but he'd had to play his part. It also meant he couldn't berate her for killing Lorena.

Relations with one's Maker were always complex. They could command and punish their children with impunity and he was, of course, glad to be free of her control. But he had loved her too. He had enjoyed the sex, even during the torture, and the shared blood was a tie unlike any other. He was well within his right to punish a human for the presumption of killing a vampire, regardless of the circumstances.

But Sookie never _had_ learned to make such distinctions between them, despite his efforts to train her. Now, with Eric butting in, he would have to take it slowly again, build the emotional trust back up while keeping his feed and fuck dalliances quiet, just as he had throughout their relationship. He hadn't minded so much when he had access to her blood. It was better than any other anyway and he'd always been able to guilt her into letting him have more than was healthy, as long as he gave her a break now and then.

Frustrating as it was, he had settled himself to play her game; that they were equals and his relationships were conducted as humans ones were. He even 'dated' another pathetic human as part of this act. The time and effort it was taking to train Sookie made him glad he'd never made a child.

Eric's amnesia had complicated things further but even then Bill reassured himself that she would never have allowed the sheriff into her bed if he had been there. He'd rushed to visit her in hospital after she was shot, hoping he be able to access her mind again. No such luck but she had indicated that she'd be open to renewing their relationship after a bit more time had passed and then let him lay with her while she slept.

Bill's need to control Sookie was two-fold. On the one hand he was vampire, she human, that was how the world worked, besides all women needed the strong hand of a man to keep them in line, so it had been with his wife. But more vital to him, Sookie was considered a key asset by the Queen. As her handler he would be an important member of court. He would have more rights and freedoms. Once he got her to the point of doing whatever he told her, he would be able to barter her exquisite blood for whatever he wanted.

This was the biggest problem with her having fucked Eric. Not that the little whore had opened her legs for the Northman but that she no longer negotiated all her vampire interactions through Bill. Keeping Sookie scared of the charming sheriff had been a key part of Bill's plan.

More frustrating was that, even as he manipulated her to get over his infidelity by trying to make her feel guilty about her dalliances with other men, she continued to only let him get so close, then something inside her would rise up and slam on the brakes. This was the real obstacle, this was what frustrated him enough to make slips, to get too heavy handed at times causing her to turn on him.

After he'd gone to Fangtasia and discovered her stinking of Eric in a way that seeped from within her, he knew further action would have to be taken to swing things back in his favour. He'd already been giving her drops of his blood in every drink he could but a greater amount would be needed to counteract the sheriff's. While she was still feeling the effects from Eric's blood she wouldn't notice larger amounts of his, which he could use to advance their physical relationship as well, nothing like a big mouthful of blood to make a human accept your advances. As soon as he was able to fuck her she have to acknowledge they were in a relationship – he'd indicate she would seem slutty otherwise, that should be all it would take. Then he'd take her to New Orleans. Once he got her into the palace she'd be secure, and so would his position. That had been his plan, right up to the night the Queen came to Fangtasia.

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A/N: I will be returning to the normal first person Sookie POV next chapter just thought this was the best way to present the information, I hope the change in POV wasn't too confusing.


	36. While I was Sleeping

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**As always, love and hugs go to treewitch703, **

**Huge thanks and hugs to everyone, so sorry again I didn't get back to people from chapter 34 (I'd much rather have been doing that than dealing with the RL stuff) I was actually pretty nervous about these postings and your responses have been amazing, so truly thank you xx**

* * *

**Chapter 36: While I was Sleeping**

**Dating Do's and Don'ts: Snuggling: Do snuggle when feeling vulnerable, hurt, scared or upset – No! Not with ****…**** Let's try again. ****Don't**** snuggle with****;**** dead people, killers, your boss, ****… except … OK scrub all that. Snuggling: Do it – carefully.**

**(Back to Sookie POV)**

During the day on Saturday, in between the night I met the Queen and the following night when I'd finally connected all the dots of what Bill had done, I'd started to feel an inner turmoil. It was as though my body were rebelling against my mind. Stackhouse women did not fall apart, a Stackhouse woman got on with things no matter what. My mind knew that and was prepared to do whatever was needed to ensure that's what I did. But my body ached, my blood pounded like I was struggling to climb a mountain, my lungs strained trying to get enough oxygen.

When, after the phone call with Alcide, I'd heard a car coming up the drive, I'd ducked into the nearest door which happened to be the spare bedroom. I didn't want to see anyone, I didn't even want to know who it was. The thought of even a familiar mind getting close to mine threatened to blow the top off of the emotions I was keeping bottled up.

Whoever had driven up the drive had started knocking on the front door and the pressure inside me started to rise, It was like someone was pumping me full of air, only my skin wouldn't expand so inside me just became denser and denser. I kept waiting for something to give, for some kind of explosion but it didn't happen, the pressure just continued to build. Every time I forced my mind and heart away from the pain of what I'd discovered from the Queen, the knowledge would flood back in a moment later. Part of me didn't think I could survive the damage, that was the part that reached for oblivion. I didn't want to think, I didn't want to see anyone. Even the daylight seemed harsh. I'd shut the curtains and sagged to the floor next to the small spare bed.

The visitor switched to knocking on the back door. I'd cringed at the thought of anyone seeing me. One word, one moment under another's gaze, one tickle of someone else's thoughts, and I would be done for. I'd had an idea. Dragging the quilt off the bed behind me, I'd gone to the closet. Carefully I'd pulled up the hidden floor hatch.

My heart had leapt when I'd discovered Eric inside. I froze for a moment but he hadn't moved. In the darkness I could only make him out by his soft glow, fainter than when he was animated but still there. The thorny bands wrapped around my heart, eased ever-so slightly. The knocking had returned to the front door and become more insistent.

Carefully I'd climbed into the hole with Eric. The Viking didn't move an inch as I settled myself, mostly on top of him, then pulled the quilt in over us both, finally pulling the hatch closed and sliding the bolt from the inside. I'd been surprised Eric hadn't done that. Snuggling down, I'd dragged Eric's arm over me. It was in an awkward position and took some effort but the extra strength his blood provided made it doable. The weight added to the feeling of safety and comfort.

Maybe one day I will question the wisdom of crawling into a dark hole with a dead man, or sneaking into the sleeping place of a powerful and deadly vampire, but in that moment it had seemed like the safest most soothing place I could be. I'd slept, but fitfully. Nightmares of Gran, and Rene, and Bill, and a dark confined space, blurred into each other so I could not tell you what happened in them except that it was violent and scary and cruel. I wasn't sure how I hadn't woken up when Eric moved me. The next thing I'd know was hearing Eric and Pam talking and I'd finally putting together what Bill had done to my body and to my mind.

[***]

It was the same comfort I'd found in the hidey-hole that, on the Saturday night, brought me back from my contemplations of Bill's full treachery. The cool lethal hand of an ancient vampire, gently stroking my hair and my face, making me feel safe. Eric's voice flowed over me like a balm.

"Her skin is cool, she is usually so warm."

"It's like she has been damaged. She hasn't said a word since we were at Fangtasia, not even when I put her to bed. Her Shifter said she wouldn't answer the door when he came during the day. I'm not sure if she's even moved since she flinched from Bill." I remembered Pam growling at him and was glad she was in the room with me now. Her next words were less certain than the vampire I knew. "Eric, she may need proper care. She'll need to eat or she'll get too weak to recover. Maybe we should take her to a hospital. Or perhaps you should give her blood again – I'll do it if you don't want to." Pam sounded genuinely concerned, I was touched.

"She is not injured in that way." Eric was holding something back, I could feel it. Then I realised, he hadn't told Pam that I'd climbed into the hidey-hole with him. I wondered why not. "Bill repeatedly gave her blood when he could and kept chipping away at her spirit but she has never let him back in, not fully. In light of what he has done, her resistance has been remarkable," Eric was saying as he smoothed the cover that was over my still form.

All the pieces of a horrific jigsaw were in place. If my mind hadn't been so estranged from my body at that moment I'd have started retching. Pam sounded as sickened as I felt.

"If he was using his blood to control her, you could have used your influence to turn her from him."

"Then I would be just like him. I have no interest in making Sookie less than herself. I have been trying to avoid any blood influence I might have on her. Besides there is always the possibility that telling her not to do something will backfire," there was slight amusement in his voice, as if he was smirking.

"Now who does that remind me of?" Pam said, also with some humour. Their mirth was not deep and was short lived, Eric got serious again quickly.

"Blood control works best with proximity and lots of physical contact. I did try to limit his access, ruling that all contact had to be initiated by her. I thought to reduce his influence over the blood he had already given her but I confess I did not think he would stoop so low as to be sneaking more into her system and I knew she would not take it voluntarily. As you know all magic is influenced by intent, and blood magic, being high magic, is even more susceptible to the nuances. Giving a human blood when they do not know what they are ingesting can have erratic effects. I may have fibbed regarding the necessity the first time Sookie took my blood, but she still made the choice to suck out the bullet, that is important. The human should always take the blood by choice otherwise it can send them mad. All this goes some way to explaining her condition. Her mind and body are fighting against each other, I do not doubt that even now his blood is trying to sway her."

"Can't we find a witch to perform a severing?"

"It is too dangerous, normally the human does not survive." I could feel the angry frustration pulsing from Eric's blood to mine, feel something wild and reckless that wanted to spew forth like a volcano. He was restraining it but hated having to do so.

All I could think about was Bill's blood, Bill's blood inside me still. Who knew how much he had given me or how long it would take to wear off. It was like I could feel it, the inside of my skin crawled with the knowledge. I wanted it out. I wanted it out more than anything I'd ever wanted before. I felt like it was a poison creeping and hiding in my own veins, every inch of me willed it gone though there was nothing I could do, I was still trapped inside my body, unable to move or speak, unable to tell Eric that no matter what the risk he should do a severing, whatever that was, that I couldn't bear Bill's blood being in me for another second, that it was burning me up from the inside.

"Pam, you must have gripped too hard when bringing her home, she has bruises," Eric's voice was suddenly sharp.

"That wasn't me, they weren't there before." Pam sounded sure but concerned. "They're everywhere look," she added. I knew they were lifting the covers, inspecting me. It felt like all my Bill tainted blood was attacking my body, or maybe my body was attacking it, either way I was a battle ground. In my head the bruises looked like bright poppies covering my skin. "More are appearing every moment." Pam was becoming alarmed as my insides clenched, split and stabbed at me. I wanted to curl into a ball, to scream out my pain but nothing in my body responded to my command. "What the fuck is going on?" Demanded Pam.

"I have no idea, call Ludwig. I do not like this, she is in pain I can feel it."

"Eric is it me or does she look slightly yellow?"

"Call Ludwig NOW!"

Pain was running riot within me. I was sorry Eric could feel it but I hoped that meant Bill could too, that he was experiencing some of the agony that was ripping through me. It would be worth it if he could. If the pain didn't kill me I was getting that severing. Cramps knotted my stomach and if I could have moved, I'd have been in the tightest ball possible, but stuck inside myself as I was, there was no relief from the pain. The pressure inside me that had been flattening me against the inside walls of my body was building further. It was too much; too much pain, too much grief, too much anger. I thought my whole body might explode from it. I retreated into my mind, burying myself deep, ignoring the call of: "Sookie no," from Eric.

"Where the FUCK is Ludwig," was the last thing I heard as I shut off completely.

**[~~~]**

_**Thunder rolled through the air and rumbled against Eric's skin as he sat looking down at her still form. It was the third night after he'd felt her slip away from him but he knew she was coming back, he **_**knew****_ it._**

I was swimming, swimming in complete darkness. Unsure I was heading in the right direction I swam on hoping I was moving upwards, towards the surface. There were muffled voices in the water but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I felt a tickling sensation, like I'd brushed against some reeds, only it was on the inside, weird. The journey I was taking was from somewhere safe and protected, somewhere I'd been healing my mind and soul, to somewhere painful and scary. I'd determined on this course, fought to take this path, was still fighting to make it. Tired but determined, I kept swimming. There was a slight current in the water that was urging me onwards.

"The connection has been broken, Bill says he cannot feel her any more." The voices slowly became clear enough for me to make out the words but I couldn't make sense of the conversation. There was a lot of information that passed right through me. I had no context to place the words within.

"And you believe him?" This voice was female, the other male. They spoke in hushed tones like they were sitting beside a sick bed and didn't want to disturb the occupant.

"I trust him less than Fellowship scum with silver and stakes but I believe he truly thought she had died. He reported her death to the Queen, he would not have done that unless he was certain. Whether the connection is completely obliterated or only suppressed while she is in this state remains to be seen." I swam on, towards the voices, trying to make sense of their words. There was some kind of phosphorescence in the water, I was starting to see traces of light dance around the strokes of my hands.

"How can the tie have been broken? Could someone have performed a severing?" I didn't know what a severing was but it seemed to fit with the scissor-like kicking motions of my legs - schnock schnick. I wanted the man to speak again, his deeper voice made pleasant vibrations in the water.

"It is possible but unlikely. Bill would never give up his connection to her willingly and I do not think Sookie even knows it is possible." I wanted to giggle, _Sookie_, what a funny word. "Whatever the cause, Bill will want to renew the tie if it is gone, he will want to use its influence to force her to forgive him." If it wouldn't have involved a mouthful of water I'd have gulped. I may not know the people or incident involved but it still sounded threatening.

"Now she knows what he did, that will never happen, and if he puts his blood anywhere near her I will drain him." The woman sounded as if she'd like to do that very much. The aggression in her voice was exciting, like the promise of a fair-ride I really wanted to go on. Realising my own feelings were not making much sense I decided to try determining theirs. "But that doesn't explain what is wrong with her," she added, aggression switching to irritation.

"Ludwig will not tell me." It sounded like this Ludwig guy should watch his back judging by the displeasure in the man's voice. "There was a great deal of emotional turmoil, much more than … She still believed she loved him, I think. Right up to the moment in my office." The man sounded sad and angry all at once.

"Pfft! That was just his blood influence and it is no excuse for staying in bed this long." The woman was not indulgent. "Besides, she loves _you_," she insisted angrily. It sounded like a conversation they'd had before, more than once. He sighed. I could feel the cool water flowing between my fingers as I swam on.

"She loves that other vampire. Someone I do not know or even remember." There was a touch of the forlorn hiding under the casual tones of this statement. I felt sorry for the man: To be loved for something other than yourself, I thought I might know something about that.

"You love her too."

"Vampires do not love like humans." His voice had gone hard, he would accept no opposition.

"They can love like vampires." She opposed him anyway, her voice as determined as his, though in a different way.

"Leave."

"But …"

"Now."

The helpful current was getting stronger and the reed-thing that had been tickling me had become a rope I could pull myself along. I tried to cling to the conversation I'd just heard, something about it was important but it was getting left behind in the water. I didn't have the strength to go back for it, I needed to keep swimming. Older memories were forcing their way back into my mind pushing out the new ones of where I'd been and why. Like the conversation, everything was getting washed away in the currents.

Someone was pulling on the other end of the rope, there was a muttering that seemed to surround me. I couldn't make out the words but there was something familiar about them, like the whispering of the trees in the woods. Not the woods I'd left, the woods I was going to, the ones waiting for me at the end of the rope, the woods of my home. Long low rumbles of thunder provided percussion accompaniment to the words that rippled over me like waves:

Lengi eg sat

ljúfu bergi á,

beið eg þín nótt og nótt;

nú það varð,

er eg vætt hefi,

að þú ert aftur kominn,

mögur, til minna sala.

I had no idea what they meant but I knew they were beautiful and I knew they were welcoming me home. The numbness in my limbs seemed to be receding and the tickling pull on the inner rope was becoming stronger. A picture started to form. In my mind's eye, a lightening flash illuminated a vampire, tall and blonde and deadly gorgeous. I grasped at the image knowing there was more.

From a very long way away I felt that someone was near me. I felt a hand stroking my hair in a way that seemed distantly familiar. I had an image of someone doing that before. My mother had done it, the one time I was sick as a child. She may not have been the best mother in the world, she had been jealous of our father's attention, not wanting to share it, but when we were sick you could see it, she loved us. The action now was as comforting as it had been then. Exhausted from my swim, I fell asleep.

[~~~]

I awoke to sunshine lighting the familiar comfort of my bedroom. The curtains were drawn tight but a gimlet of light had poked through a tiny gap near the top and was illuminating a thin slice of floating dust. As I lay staring at the minuscule flecks pirouetting randomly, I soaked up the familiar scents and sounds that would always mean home no matter where I encountered them. It felt like I'd been away for a really long time.

Eventually I shifted my head slightly so I could look around at the familiar setting. My mind was quite calm as I took in my situation. I remembered everything that had happened before, all I had learned the night the Queen visited, as well as all I put together the following night, everything in fact up to the point I retreated into my mind, but I put it aside for the moment, establishing the here and now needed to come first.

Scooting back a little until I was half sitting, I spotted the note on my night stand about the same moment I recognised the sound of someone moving in my kitchen. Maybe I should have been concerned about the latter but I couldn't seem to care. I reached out and grabbed the note. The movement was hard. I realised I was incredibly weak.

The soft scent from the thick folded paper with my name on the outside brought more memories of homecoming and safety, and I smiled softly at the familiarly friendly scrawl before unfolding the sheaf.

_Sookie,_

_I felt a change in you last night. You were sleeping rather than gone. I hope this means you will wake in the day. I have called the Shifter to come and care for you. Let him. You are still my responsibility and I do not know if they will return the bail money if you die._

_I will see you tonight._

_**~E~**_

Though I hadn't expected to do so ever again, I laughed. It was weak and raspy, I felt light-headed from the energy it took. Sam rushed in from the other room looking stunned.

"What the fuck Sook?" He asked after a long pause of looking at me alarmed while I tried to get myself under control.

"Eric is worried I'm going to die," I gasped trying to explain by waving the paper at him. Sam looked worried about my mental state.

"Well he made it clear that if you do, I do," he said after a moment. I got the feeling he wasn't exaggerating and the thought sobered me.

I shifted to sit more upright, struggling in my weakened state.

"Jesus Sook, look at you." Sam sighed before moving forward to help me.

"That good huh? Just what a girl likes to hear, that she apparently looks as bad as she feels." I eye-balled him but in a friendly way to let him know I wasn't really offended.

"Not _bad_, just, you look like you've been real ill and now you need some good meals and lots of sun." He tried to smile knowing these were both things I liked but I could see the worry in his face as well as feel it pushing against my mind. I felt I should shield but I couldn't quite manage it yet.

"What day is it?" I asked, realising I didn't know.

"Wednesday." As usual it was just emotions I was picking up from Sam, there was a lot, his worry, his discomfort, his protectiveness, to name but a few.

"Wednesday? That means …" Wow. "I've been … ill … for 4 days?" Sam nodded and his concern was full on his face for a moment before he replaced it with something more 'let's get on.'

"What do you need?" He asked me as my shame turned to determination. "Water? Food? Bath?" He looked hopeful at this last one and I laughed again. I wasn't sure why everything seemed so funny.

"Bath_room_," I admitted with a blush.

"Sook you don't need to be embarrassed, you've seen me cock my leg against a tree." He smiled reassuringly and pulled the blankets back then bent to lift me. I was pleased to note I was in a fresh looking nightgown.

Sam carried me to the toilet and helped me get settled after I accepted I couldn't stand on my own. Once he was satisfied I could stay on the seat safely he gave me some privacy. I looked at my arms and legs as I sat there. Sam was right that my skin looked pale, and I was definitely still feeling pretty weak and very shaky. While I noted that I was fairly clean, Sam's offer of a bath still sounded tempting. That said, sudden waves of exhaustion would wash over me, making me feel I might pass out, maybe a bath was a bad idea right now.

With some careful planning, Sam put the shower-head as low as it would go and I sat in the bath under it, covered in a towel until Sam had left. I sat with my head back letting the warm water wash over me. Sam had told me that he had been my visitor on Saturday during the day, the one I had hidden from in the hidey-hole. Pam had called him and asked him to check on me. The following night when he'd called he'd been told I was unwell and that my care had been arranged.

Apparently Eric wouldn't allow anyone near me during my illness, nor would he tell anyone what was wrong with me. Sam did know, through other means, that Dr Ludwig had been caring for me and had provided day-nurses prior to today. Then last night Eric had called Sam. Sam had been more than happy to help since it meant he'd be able to check my condition for himself.

I knew Sam was curious about what had happened to me but I wasn't ready to talk to him about it, I wasn't even sure myself. That is, I knew everything that had happened just _before_ I got ill. I remembered everything I'd discovered about Bill and the Queen and his blood and urgh! But the pain and the pressure that built up in me, shutting myself off so thoroughly I'd been out for days? I didn't know what that was about.

Thinking of Bill now still made my skin crawl, but I knew in my gut that his blood was no longer in me. I'd be removing Bill from my life just as surely as he'd been removed from my blood soon enough, first I needed to know about me.

On discovering their guy had been a lying cheating scumbag, normal girls got angry, or cried, or sulked for a while. They wore their sweats and ate big tubs of ice cream. Even if you factor in the rape and blood and the partial glamour it didn't explain why I'd fallen into some sort of coma and needed my friends to change my bedsheets.

I was glad my problems were not an item of supe gossip. However much he liked to pretend otherwise, Eric was at times as guilty of engaging in this as the rest of them, though he was perhaps a little more subtle than some. On the other hand, I knew that at some point I was going to have to tell Sam something and I wasn't looking forward to trying to put everything into words.

I also wasn't sure how much of what I'd figured out Eric actually knew, and whether I could bring myself to tell him. I felt a wave of dizziness as too many thoughts and feelings crashed in on me at once and I let the water wash them all away.

Though I felt cleaner after my shower I also felt exhausted and actually dozed for a while after Sam helped me back to bed and wandered off to make me some food. I roused when I 'heard' Sam worrying about whether to wake me or not. I could feel curiosity coming off him now but I could also feel him pushing it aside. He gave me food and water, and, after I begged enough, some coffee. With my caffeine armour I was ready to address my first concern. I took Sam's hand and pulled him down to sit on the edge of my bed so he'd stop fidgeting.

"Sam, do you know what's wrong with me?"

"There is nothing _wrong_ with you Sookie." Sam assured me. "I don't know everything you've been through but I know enough to know that it's amazing you've held up as well as you have." For all his calm words, he looked worried. "I need to make a call," he blurted out suddenly, pulling his hand from mine.

"Sam, what …?" but he was gone.

Though surprised by his sudden departure I was glad of the alone time. I was pretty sure Sam didn't have the answers I needed. I'd worked out everything else that had happened to me, I could work this out too. I seemed to have processed all the stuff with Bill. I hadn't been glamoured again, everything was clear, it just wasn't fresh. The only thing left was confronting Bill and I wasn't sure how much I _needed_ to do that. He had made himself irrelevant. Whatever else had been going on, it seemed my heart and mind had been healing. I checked those feelings carefully to be sure, but they were entirely mine.

At some point during my self examination, despite the questions buzzing round my head, I fell back to sleep. I awoke when Eric arrived after sunset that evening. Sam was still nowhere to be seen. I scanned for him and found him in the kitchen. I got enough to know he was nervous but no more.

Grace is a funny thing. You either have it or you don't. If you don't, you can learn to be 'more graceful' but you will never have the natural easy grace of someone born that way. Completely unconscious and fluid, like the wind travelling through long grass, swirling patterns and shades of colour in a way that is almost silent and unresisting. This was how Eric entered my room that night, like a sigh of spring air.

The evening was warm and I had flung the covers off me while I slept. I was in an actual nightdress that Gran had bought me but that I almost never usually wore, preferring my oversized t-shirts. The reason I avoided nightdresses was, as this one had done, they tended to get all twisted and gathered up making them uncomfortable. I was decent, but only just.

Coming through the door Eric stopped, his eyes ran over me once then he leaned against the door jamb and took another look, a long slow one that ran the length of me and back leaving goosebumps in its wake. I couldn't read his expression, my best guess would be it was pensive.

I looked at him too. I had a lot of questions and a lot of things I wanted to say but I stayed silent, just looking, the same as he was. I took my time.

His shirt was big enough not to cling but small enough to be taut over the broadest parts of his torso; his big shoulders slimmed to a narrow waist around which hung belt-less jeans that, like his shirt, were not tight but still hinted at the package within. But that wasn't where my gaze lingered the longest. The lines of his bone structure, the planes of his face, framed by his beautiful thick hair that was carelessly tied back. His lips that could be so expressive but most often looked happily wicked.

And those eyes, those deep, intense, fascinating eyes that, having completed their exploration of my contours were now locked on mine almost in challenge. The smell of coffee carried on the breeze that wafted towards me from behind him gathering a hint of his manly scent. The main light in my room was off so it was only the glow from the bathroom that joined his natural luminescence. A 'coon chittered outside, Eric blinked slowly. I was jealous of his lashes for brushing his face.

Eventually he pushed away from the doorway with his shoulder and I watched him slink smoothly towards me, taking his time so I could appreciate the beauty of his movements. He remained quiet as he sat on the edge of my bed, his weight tipping me slightly towards him so my hip leaned against his. I was embarrassed by what had happened to me. I kept my eyes from quite meeting his and wished I was asleep. Eric didn't say anything though.

He inspected me like a doctor and like a vampire – I could feel him reaching out to his blood in me, just a slight tingling sensation, not unpleasant but slightly alien. I knew I looked pale and I still felt very tired. I'd noticed, since Eric had started looking at me, that my breath felt short and my heart rate was accelerated but I wasn't sure if that had been the case all along or only since he'd arrived. I sat quietly allowing him to do what he wished. My gaze sweeping over and over his face in the visual equivalent of Loki's puppy tongue.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I felt his fingertips brush over the skin on my forehead, skimming under the loose hair that covered it. Cool satin. Although his hands were worker's hands that still showed the breadth of manual labour he must have performed as a human, they were soft. It didn't make sense to me, it must be a vampire thing or maybe his age, but I loved the feel of them, they made me feel soft wherever they touched, like he was smoothing away all my imperfections with just his caresses.

His fingers trailed down the side of my face, over the ridge of my jaw and down my throat (my head drifted naturally to the side to give him access) and came to rest over my carotid. That was our connection, heart-pumped blood flowing through my veins, the blood of us both, his and mine, pulsating together.

He seemed calm, and like he was systematically following some internal list, clinical almost, but in a tender way - on the outside. As he tapped into whatever it was he could access through the tie between us, his hands on me, I could feel him too. His emotions, as they melded into mine, were a mess. I couldn't pick out much, but it was like being caught in a crowd underwater. So many things were trying to force their way to the surface that they kept pushing each other back down. It felt like he was drowning.

Then he stroked my head once, kissed my forehead and left without a word.

A while later, Pam arrived. In a grump, she ran a bubble bath and dumped me in it without asking. I didn't want to upset her by pointing out I'd already had a shower, so I decided to go along with it, not that I had much choice. Surreptitiously, I pulled on the corner of a wash cloth that hung over the edge, dragging it beneath the bubbles to provide a little modesty just before Pam returned and placed a towel by the bath. Like Eric she didn't speak. I hated the silence.

"Thank you Pam," I said with a shy smile. She looked at me questioningly.

"I've been ordered to do it, though I don't see why it has to be me. This was why you had a nurse." One of the things I loved about Pam was she was always came right out and said what was on her mind. I suspected that even if I could read her thoughts there wouldn't be anything in her head that didn't make its way out of her mouth. Her Pam-ness made me feel I'd stepped off a rocking boat onto solid ground. If nothing else, you could count on Pam to be Pam. But I hadn't been thanking her for the towel as I explained.

"I was talking about before. When … in Fangtasia … you … I felt safe with you." I looked down, I was still ashamed for retreating into my head – though it hadn't felt like a choice.

"You were safe with me," she said matter-of-factly. But she came and sat on the toilet seat rather than leaving as I suspected she had planned to do.

"We didn't know," she said watching my face.

"I know." I flicked my eyes at her.

"Good," she declared grabbing one of the magazines she'd brought in for me and flicking it open indicating she was done with the topic. Ah Pam, so sentimental. I sighed to myself contentedly, as I relaxed deeper into the water making it slosh against the sides of the bath. She was just what I needed. "We can't kill him. We're not allowed," she added after a pause, just as unemotionally.

"Pity," I said matching her casual tone. She smiled a fangy smile at me and put down the magazine.

"The Queen has ordered that he must stay on the staff. He is her spy in Eric's camp, that they are not on friendly terms works in her favour." She wanted to be sure I understood this was not their choice, that they _had_ to comply. I shrugged and blew at a little island of bubbles, changing its trajectory to float away from my face. I found I had little to no interest in what Bill did or didn't do. I had some other things to catch up on.

"Did the Queen leave?" Taking that creepy Andre with her I hoped. Pam looked a little surprised at the direction of the conversation but answered me anyway.

"Yes the same night. She doesn't like to be away from New Orleans for long." I thought about what else I'd learned, what I was ready to talk about. Pam started to sniff her way through the various toiletries that sat on a shelf near her.

"My cousin, Hadley, she's a vampire?"

"Yes. She is the Queen's child." Even though she was the reason Bill had been sent after me, I was glad to know she was still out there somewhere, I had so little family. I doubted Hadley had the forethought as to what would happen when she spilled all my secrets to the Queen, she probably just thought it was a good story. She'd always been prepared to do anything for attention but she wasn't generally malicious.

"I thought she was dead," I tried to explain to Pam.

"She is." Pam just sounded confused.

"I mean, _dead_ dead, ages ago, from drugs or something. She disappeared and we didn't hear from her again. I'm glad to know she's OK."

"You mean just 'kinda dead'," she smirked. I could tell she and Eric had laughed a lot over that. She was watching the bubbles in my bath carefully as if she could disperse them with just her gaze. I quickly checked I was still well covered, though she'd seen everything when she stripped me and put me in the water anyway. "I wonder if she tasted like you. I don't think the Queen would have turned her if she did, at least not for a while longer, it changes the flavour." Something else different about me, like the telepathy and strange 'coma' reaction to stress. I wondered what it all added up to.

"Do I really taste that different?" I asked.

"Yes," Pam said simply, not shifting her gaze from my bubbles. "I wish I'd tasted your brother when I had the chance. Too late to know now, he'll just taste of cat." She pulled a face to show it wasn't a flavour she'd enjoy.

"It's a good thing too, I don't want you all snacking on him just for comparisons sake." Pam's face took on a dreamy expression as she had a fantasy moment. Since I suspected it was to do with biting both me and my brother in the same sitting I interrupted it.

"But _why_ do I taste so different?" I pressed.

"Who knows?" She shrugged, her eyes hovering around my neckline. "Everyone tastes different. You're a good vintage." Her eyes sprung to mine and looked at me meaningfully. "It is lucky for you that you are under Eric's protection. Most vampires are not good at savouring a rare flavour. They get over excited and just drain them." She wasn't threatening me, but she was trying to say more than her words.

"I feel like a talking wine bottle," I grumbled slightly, not as put out as I probably should have been as I tried to grasp what she wanted from me.

"You should be proud of it, it's better than being just like everyone else." She looked insulted by my being insulted.

"I only ever wanted to be like everyone else," I whispered.

"I don't see why. Most humans are irritating, pathetic creatures that vampires would have wiped out completely if they weren't edible."

"Pam you used to be human you know," I pointed out.

"I know, don't remind me. It was horrible, though at least I had the sense to know it even then. Most humans have no idea how pointless their lives are." Not all vampires had so little time for humans but Pam had less patience than most, perhaps from working at the bar so much. Still I felt the need to defend my species.

"Pam!" I almost sat up in objection but then remembered I was naked in the bath and stayed under the bubbles.

"Really, if Eric hadn't found me," she was looking at me significantly again. OK, I got it, Eric's protection order, whatever it was. She wanted to make sure I knew he'd been looking after me all along. It was the same reason she'd made the point about them not knowing about Bill.

I'd planned to speak to Eric directly about it but since she seemed so determined to talk about it now I decided not to beat around the bush. "So what is it exactly? A protection order?" Pam looked very relieved at my question, I suspected she'd been told she couldn't talk about it unless I asked.

"Exactly what it says, you are under Eric's protection. After the incident with Longshadow he realised that both your talent and your scent would make you a target for many vampires. Bill is neither old enough or important enough to properly protect you, Eric or even I could easily have taken you from him." I got the distinct impression this was something they had considered and even discussed doing. Of course things might have been different had they known Bill was acting on the Queen's orders but she'd said she'd refused to intervene on Bill's behalf when he'd asked so maybe not. I couldn't be sure why, but obviously they hadn't gone through with any plans to 'take' me. "His weakness was why _Bill's_ plan involved keeping you away from all other vampires. I understand he purposely introduced you to some of the worst in the area to scare you off the rest of us." I remembered meeting Malcolm, Liam and Diane. It made perfect sense now that Bill had set that up, and that the incident had coloured my impression of all vampires excepting him. How did I not see it at the time? I pushed that aside, there was nothing I could do about it now.

Pam continued, "Protection orders are usually placed on humans that are especially useful, it means harsher penalties for any vampire that harms them. In your case, Eric wanted to keep you below radar as much as possible so, instead of announcing the protection order, he charged Bill with maintaining your care. Your status was kept quiet but should any vampire show too much interest or try to hurt you Bill could inform them they would be violating the order. It also meant he had to report everything regarding you to Eric, since any attack on you would be tantamount to an attack on Eric's business interests."

On the one hand I appreciated Eric was trying to protect me, on the other hand it really isn't that flattering to be considered a business asset like a piece of land or a file cabinet. Then again just because I was useful to Eric's work didn't mean he didn't see me as a person too – that is, not 'just a human' but an actual person. Sure, lots of the stuff he'd done for me _might_ be about looking after a valuable tool, but holding my hand, talking to me, listening to me, that was more, I knew it was.

When it came right down to it, it was because of the business side of things that I could handle my debt to him. It had been in his interest as well as mine for him to keep me out of prison and provide what I needed to do what I do. After all I had done things for him too, helped him when he needed it. It lightened the load to something I could live with.

The protection order was before the sharing though. Before he and I had drank from each other simultaneously, changing our connection to something completely different. Did Pam know about the sharing? I thought she probably did but I couldn't be sure, she'd never mentioned it to me and so I didn't dare be the one to state it outright. Judging by her following comment, she did know.

"_Now_ of course, any attack on you is the same as an attack on Eric himself. His scent is not so noticeable any more, since you were sick, but those in the area have been told you are contracted directly to him making you 'his'." She rolled her eyes when I frowned. "You are his in a way more similar to _me_ than as a pet," she explained. Pam knew I didn't like the whole ownership thing, but I had already understood what she was saying, that my status was a sign of my importance, my worth, the only one available to a human in vampire society. It was the comment about his scent that had thrown me.

I knew I was still connected to Eric, I had felt him when he came to see me, but Pam seem to be saying that connection was no longer obvious to others. I was no longer 'discernably' under his protection as he'd put it to Bill. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Eric made me feel safe and I truly believed the blood sharing thing had been about my safety. Had I messed it up when I fell ill? What did that mean now?

We were silent for a long time. I wanted to ask about the blood ties, the sharing and the severing she'd mentioned before I slipped away, but I felt it was a conversation I should have with Eric. I finished my bath and Pam put me back to bed. I was getting sleepy and I could tell she was ready to leave.

"Pam," I said. She looked at me.

"Yes?"

"Tell Eric I'm glad he won't lose his bail money." She gave me a big grin and I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

Eric's words are from: Fjölsvinnsmál from a website called Jörmungrund, the translation also found on that website reads.

_Long have I sat_

_on my loved hill,_

_waiting for you night and night;_

_now has come to pass_

_that which I hoped for:_

_you have returned,_

_lover, to my hall._

(well OK it originally said waiting day and night and I tweaked it) I thought the words very fitting, so I pinched them ;) The original translation I read (above) translated the words as 'lover to my hall' (very fitting). However I should note that other translations have this as 'dear youth'. For my context I prefer the 'lover' translation, but I suppose given Eric and Sookie's relative ages 'dear youth' works too :) The line is said by Menglad to her lover Svipdag so the term in its original context is one of endearment - sorry my Old Norse is not good enough to know if I have made a boo-boo regarding gender specific terms.

Call it artistic licence and think of it as Eric remembering oral tales from his human youth and adapting them to his current situation.

**This is the last of the daily posts I'm afraid, I'll try to update again asap. Obviously there is much more story to come, Sookie still has things to learn about herself, Bill needs to suffer (a lot) and Eric and Sookie need to figure out how to be Eric-and-Sookie while still being Eric and Sookie (frustrating pair that they are). On top of that there more action too xx**


	37. You Yourself and I-dream

Dating in the Dark

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**Big love, many hugs and many many thanks to the great and wonderful treewitch703, as always, xx.**

**Thank you all for reading and extra thanks to those who've left reviews *blows big wet sloppy kisses***

* * *

**Chapter 44: You Yourself and I-dream. **

**Dating Don't: Don't go on a date with more than one person at a time.**

When I woke the next day Sam was once again my nurse in residence, only this time he wasn't alone. I think all women would feel frumpy next to the tall and beautiful Claudine, but when you're laying in your sick bed, already worried about how pathetic you are, it's hard to retain any sense of self worth at all.

"Fucking Vampires," she said with a bright smile. "They make it extremely hard to protect you while still abiding by the treaty?"

"Er … what?" She glanced at Sam who looked really shocked and left quickly. Claudine was in a _very_ fitted summer dress, it was white with bright flowers on it. She had a daisy-chain in her hair and somehow contrived to smell more like a summer's day than the real thing. She sat on the edge of my bed, just as Eric had the night before, and took my wrist in her hand feeling my pulse.

"Since my job is to protect you, there are forces at work that help me know when you need me. But part of the current treaty between the Vampires and Fairies says we cannot monitor or interfere with each other's political systems so I don't get the message if what is happening to you is to do with vampire politics. Luckily Sam had the sense to call me." She kept smiling throughout and didn't seem to notice that she might as well have just been speaking in tongues for all the sense her comments had made to me.

She'd mentioned being my protector a few times before, when she stopped me crashing my car, and when she and Claude had shown up at the pack-master contest. She'd also turned up to pull me out of my house when it was on fire. That had been Charles of course but then that was a personal attack, not a political one, which I figured made a difference. But I didn't really know _why_ she was protecting me, though at least I now knew why she only showed up some of the time.

I needed to start asking questions. After all I'd thought Bill was protecting me when it turned out he'd been the biggest danger of all. I figured I'd start at the beginning and take things one at a time.

"Why is it your job is to protect me?"

"I'm your Godmother." Her usual beaming smile overtook her face as she said this and she looked at me with pride. I stopped trying to plan my next question, too startled by this news. I couldn't take it seriously and giggled uncontrollably, I mean, a _fairy _godmother. Claudine waited, looking somewhat confused, for me to be ready to carry on. I wondered if she'd known my mom or my dad or both. I'd always thought she looked close to me in age but I had no idea how fairies aged. However I thought asking how old she was might be a bit rude.

"So how come I never heard of you before? When I was a kid I mean. Did you fall out with my parents when I was little or something?" I wondered if they'd known she was a fairy when they asked her to be Godmother to me.

"I didn't know your parents," she looked surprised at my question.

"But you said you're my Godmother," I said, confused again.

"I am, I was appointed and sent from Fae to watch over you. Our term is étrénaingid* but as that would mean nothing to you I translated." I'd never heard of Fae but I figured it was where fairies lived. I wondered where it was but that was a question that could wait.

"How come? Is a fairy sent for everybody?" Somehow I didn't think so, since other than Claudine and her brother I hadn't come across any others. You'd think they would be everywhere if everyone had one.

"No, you're special," she confirmed.

"Oh no, not again. Look, thanks and all, but I'd rather not be special, so whatever you want I'm really not interested." I folded my arms to emphasise my point. One thing I'd learned, people sent randomly to look out for you were sent by people who wanted something in return. Hurt and surprise flashed across her face but then understanding replaced it.

"We only want to protect you," she said gently. I could feel the overwhelming crushing sensation building up in me again and I gave a long slow exhale trying to push it out of me.

It was clear from her expression that Claudine knew _all_ about what Bill had done whether she was supposed to or not. She leaned forward and put her hands on my head which was instantly soothing and calming. I pushed her hands away, I'd had enough of people manipulating my emotions. I was feeling dizzy but I held onto consciousness with a determined focus.

"You are not well enough to discuss this right now. I have brought medicine with me, it will help you." She held out a small fancy vial. It was very pretty and looked like it should hold a tiny sample of perfume rather than medicine.

"What is it?" I asked suspiciously, between 'wanting to protect me', affecting my emotions and now trying to get me to drink something, I was becoming more and more on edge. I was thinking of calling out to Sam, or asking Claudine to leave. I was starting to feel short of breath again I hated feeling this way.

"This is a restorative, it will help you to repair the damage to your body and recover your strength," I guess I was looking sceptical, because she smiled reassuringly at me. "I cannot blame you for being cautious. Here I will drink some too and I will leave the rest for you. Check with Healer Ludwig if you must, but please drink it, it really will help you." She seemed concerned for me and anxious to make me better but I didn't trust my judgement at the moment even with the 'good-vibe' I was feeling from her. Another sensation I didn't understand.

"What will help her? What are you giving my patient?" Came a sharp voice from beyond Claudine. She turned her attention to my first visitor. "Oh, Claudine, it's you." Clearly they knew each other and Claudine gave the Dr. a respectful nod. Ludwig bustled forward and brushed Claudine out of the way taking the vial from her as she did. She didn't look at it though, she looked at me. "You, calm yourself before your body shuts down again," she ordered harshly. For some reason her brusque manner was reassuring in a way Claudine's care and sympathy had not been. I found myself relaxing now that the tiny Dr was here.

Ludwig turned and inspected the fairy in an evaluating way before focusing her attention on the vial in her hand. "What have we got here then?" She peered closely at the side of the bottle. Though it looked opaque to me, apparently she could see what was inside. "Ah yes a restorative draft."

"Specially mixed in fae," said Claudine beaming away.

"Well OK then, let's see." Dr Ludwig tipped the bottle against her finger to leave a drop there and then tested it with her tongue. "Hmmm, Astragalus for cell regeneration, Hawthorn for the heart, Siberian ginseng root to enhance, Ho Show root to restore strength and muscles, Rehmania root to restore the blood and," she finally looked surprised and flicked her eyes at Claudine, "Azoth? I considered it of course but I couldn't be sure. Are you?"

"Yes, very," Claudine nodded. After a moment Dr Ludwig seemed to decide it was OK and she turned her attention to me. "This is a powerful combination, it should do the trick." She held out the vial and I looked at it still not sure what was going on. "Well, drink up girl, don't be stubborn, that is some process you went through."

"What process?" I took the offered vial but made no move to drink the medicine.

"The severing," she said as if this should be obvious.

"What's exactly _is_ a severing?" I asked. I'd heard Eric and Pam talking about it before I retreated to … wherever it was I went, and I had an idea what it was but I was sick of things happening to me without having all the information.

"A severing is a spell that removes all vampire blood from a human. I have heard it is possible to do blood specific severings, if the witch has access to all sources of the blood, but I know of no instance of one being successful." There was something odd about the way Ludwig gave me this information, like she wasn't quite saying everything. "Severings are painful for the human and usually fatal, the vampire's blood that is in the human is literally destroyed."

"And I've had a severing?" She nodded with certainty.

"Only accelerated red blood cell destruction would cause the level of jaundice and bruising you had, though it doesn't explain why you were inert instead of writhing in agony from the cramps. Replacing the blood kept you ticking over but your system has taken a real battering." _So Bill's blood in me _**has**_ been_ _destroyed_. _I hope it hurt him as much as me, or maybe even more! After all it was his blood, it had just been squatting inside my system._ _How much of him had been in me? _ I got the impression I'd needed a lot of blood transfused. _And who had done the severing? _ _Eric said he wouldn't risk it when Pam asked before, had he changed his mind?_ "Did you do it? The severing I mean?" I asked the Dr. I figured if Eric had ordered it, Ludwig would be who he asked. She looked offended. "Not that I'm complaining," I reassured her quickly. "I'm glad to be rid of Bill."

"No," she said categorically then busied herself checking my temperature and pulse.

I looked to Claudine, she'd said she was supposed to protect me after all. She looked less offended but smiled ruefully.

"We would never have risked it, the danger to you was too high. We would simply kill the vampire involved. It would have left the lingering effects of any blood influence but you would be safe." I thought about this for a moment, with the pain of the process I'd considered that just killing Bill might have been a better way to go but now it sounded like that wouldn't have done what I needed.

"So if you'd killed Bill, I'd still feel like I cared about him because that's what he was using his blood to make me feel?"

"Yes. This way is better, since it undoes all the effects. Plus it saves us risking retaliation. If a vampire's death was traced back to fairies that could happen. We were prepared, we'd already decided we could not allow a vampire to remain connected to you. With severing being so dangerous an execution order was issued against the vampire who had given you blood. Now, since someone else has performed the magic and you survived it, we're all quite relieved." I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be worried about Claudine's casual approach to killing Bill. I had to admit a big part of me was disappointed it was no longer necessary for the fairies to kill my ex. However having just helped avert a major conflict I didn't want to be responsible for starting a different one, even to be rid of Bill forever.

"There is no need to start trouble between the vamps and fairies now, right?" I asked.

"No the execution has been cancelled. We know there are other vamps that are interested in you because of your skill but as long as you stay away from their blood it's not a problem. Nasty stuff vampire blood, the only safe solution for all concerned is to end the vampire it belongs to." Claudine smiled happily as if talking about holding a birthday party for a beloved friend not the final death of a sentient being.

I wanted to change the subject since it had finally clicked what Ludwig had been hinting at and why she hadn't said it outright. I needed time to process everything. I was fairly confident now that neither the vampires nor the fairies had done the severing but I needed time to think. I settled myself more comfortably and let my eyes droop a little.

"You are tired and I need to go." Claudine smiled kindly at me. "I will visit you soon, when you are stronger, and we will talk then," She clearly had something specific in mind she wanted to talk about. I was glad it was something that could wait until I was feeling better.

I dropped my sleepy act once Claudine was gone and watched Dr Ludwig, waiting for a chance to speak to her. She was avoiding my eye and keeping busy as she sprayed my room with some sort of air-freshener that didn't smell of anything to me. The label on it said Fae-away.

Even when she came over to check my vitals she was still avoiding my gaze.

"Thank you," I said, she looked at me with sharp eyes. "For not saying anything to Claudine about …" The tiny Dr held up a hand to silence me.

"You need to get better soon, I want as little to do with this as possible," she said.

"With what?" I still wasn't sure what exactly 'it' was, though once again it seemed I was slap-bang in the middle of something.

"I don't know and I don't want to. But I do know that every time there is run-in between fairies and vampires a lot of people die."

"Why? Because vampires find fairies so tasty?"

"That doesn't help but it's more complicated than that. There is a lot of politics and history. Claudine is part of a powerful family, one not adverse to removing vampires simply because they happen to be there, and that Viking of yours has killed his share of fae too. I want nothing to do with it. So just you get better and then I can get out of here, OK," she ordered. I nodded and she held out the little bottle Claudine had left that I'd put to one side. "Bottoms up."

I did as I was told. I'd expected it to taste nasty or have at least a medicine-y taste about it, but it tasted like slightly flavoured spring water, only from the freshest spring you could imagine. Dr Ludwig nodded approvingly and straightened my sheets.

"Dr Ludwig, who can perform a severing? And how is it done?" She gave me a stern look for a moment but after a deep breath came to a decision and answered me.

"It is usually performed by a magic practitioner, a witch, warlock or member of the fae, it requires the bringing together of four powerful energy forces, Life, Mind, Entropy and Prime." I must have looked lost because she tutted and then continued to talk while giving me another blood transfusion.

She explained how 'Life' was drawn from the elements, air, fire, water or earth, which was why the fae were often the ones to perform this type of magic. Apparently they are the essence of life and are tied to the elements, all fae having an affinity with at least one of them. Mind, was fairly self explanatory, the force of thought, memory, psyche. Any practitioners of magic wanting to perform this sort of spell have some level of control in this area. They had to be strong enough to keep the mind completely focused during castings. Ludwig told me some horrific things could happen if a single stray thought crossed their mind at the wrong time. It explained why the stronger witches I'd met could block me, they had better control over their own minds than most people. Like me they had learned to shield out unwanted thoughts. (Though in their case it would be their own rather than other people's.)

Entropy was the power of order and chaos, the energy most connected with fate and future. It was this energy that made casting the spell so dangerous, not only to the blood-tied human but to the spell caster. Even the tiny amount of this energy required for the spell was incredibly hard to control. Its very nature was to be erratic and unpredictable. I'd experienced this before too, it was what Loki used. From my small experience of it, Ludwig's description sounded about right. She unhooked me from her equipment as she finished her explanation. "Then there is Prime, this is the most illusive yet most present energy in the universe. It is the quintessential primary force, the 5th element – that thing combines all the others to make life, nobody has identified the source of this energy but certain practises have proven to enable practitioners to draw on it."

"What sort of practises?" I asked. I was feeling a little stronger for the blood but still not great.

"Nothing you would like to hear about," she said sharply. I frowned. "Anyway, usually it is the human that the spell is being cast on that is used for this."

"You're talking about human sacrifice!" I drew back from her.

"Not exactly, the life is threatened, not necessarily taken, but then obviously, for the threat to be genuine there is a risk." I guess my disapproval was clear and present because Ludwig gave me a 'this is the bare-knuckles truth' gaze. "Look girl, most of us _like_ humans, but they are plentiful and relatively inferior in knowledge, strength and power. For most non-humans they are the obvious choice when this sort of thing is needed. Besides, the magic just doesn't work without them, we don't know why. I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying it's the way it is. Why do you think I won't perform the ritual?" I remembered how offended she'd looked when I'd asked if she'd cast the spell, it made more sense now.

"Sorry," I mumbled. She patted my hand and continued clearing away her equipment.

I'd ruled out the vampires, fairies and Dr Ludwig. My mind drifted over to Loki but I hadn't had the impression he'd even noticed Bill particularly when he was here, Eric was his obsession and I was still connected to the Viking. Whoever _had_ performed the severing, it didn't sound like someone I was going to like if they performed human sacrifices. But then that didn't necessarily make them an enemy, they had freed me from Bill's influence. Whoever had done it, Ludwig didn't know any more than I did so I put it aside to think about later. There was plenty she _did_ know and I was hoping she'd speak to me.

Claudine had said vampires and fairies were enemies. I knew, if they were near each other, that there was a good chance Eric would kill Claudine – not necessarily because he'd choose to, so much as that just seemed to be what happened when vampires were near fairies for too long. Now it sounded like Claudine might kill Eric too – given the chance – if she knew I still had his blood in me. I'd been worried when Pam had first told me the connection was less noticeable but if it saved Eric from the fairies it could only be good. I knew so little about Claudine's kind I realised.

"Can you tell me about Fairies?" Ludwig looked at me for a moment, pondering, then seemed to settle some internal debate.

"Like all races you get good and bad and all sorts in between. They can be very vicious when angered, and very crafty and sly. Get on the wrong side of a fairy and death will be a blessing, they rarely do it quickly. But they are also very loyal to their own and when, like Claudine, on the path to a higher plane, they are very positive forces. Fairies cannot lie, but do not let that fool you, there are many truthful ways to deceive." Though Ludwig was trying to be fair I got the impression she wasn't a big fan of fairies. Yet she'd seemed on good terms with Claudine and had approved the medicine she'd brought.

"That stuff she gave me?" I asked suddenly not sure I should have swallowed it after all.

"Is a restorative draft like I said, there was nothing in there that could hurt you, only healing." Ludwig was pretty darn sure of that so I accepted it. "If Claudine has been sent to protect you, you can trust that she will act in a way _she_ believes to be best for you, but people do not always agree regarding what is best." She eyed me in a way that I read to mean Claudine and Eric were unlikely to agree with each other. And most importantly that I might not agree with either of them.

If Claudine knew I still had Eric's blood in me the fairies would try to kill him, but even Ludwig didn't seem to know how Bill's blood had been removed without Eric's going too. She did seem happy to keep my remaining connection to Eric a secret from the fairies which was good. Maybe it fell under patient confidentiality. After all, whose blood I had in me was surely no-one's business but mine and theirs. Just to be on the safe side I decided to say nothing to Eric about Claudine and nothing to Claudine about Eric until I had more information. I didn't want to end up as Helen of Troy in a fae-vamp war.

It became clear Dr Ludwig was not going to tell me any more.

"You need to heal. Sleep and give your body a chance to recover, the rest of it will still be waiting for you when you are stronger." I frowned at the thought but laid down in my bed anyway. I found I was suddenly tired and sleep was calling me.

"Thank you for helping me Dr Ludwig," I said referring to both the treatment and the answers she'd given me.

"Well just don't make me regret it." she said, she waved her hand over me and sleep pulled me into dreams more quickly than it ever had before.

[***]

Merlotte's was full of the familiar faceless regulars that seem to constantly fill the place. Jane Bodehouse managed to tip her drink over me which made Andy Bellefleur cheer and start french kissing her. I was rushing about filling an impossible number of orders and blocking the hateful thoughts that eddied around me wherever I went. Sam tried to shrug off the naked Loki who was behind him brushing his hair as he passed me another pitcher of beer but Loki would not be shrugged. Still, the thoughts came at me: Crazy Sookie, stupid Sookie, nice-ass-pity-she's-so-simple Sookie. I beamed my crazy smile at them all and continued fetching pitchers of beer and spicy-were-burgers. It seemed like a normal shift.

But I _knew_ that at any moment a vampire was going to walk into the bar, that he would be there for me and that he would change everything. I felt fear. He would hurt me, I just knew it. Yet he was coming, I could almost feel him getting closer. The anticipation was killing me and I wished he'd just get here already.

Somehow I was looking right at the doors when they opened so I saw him walk in.

He was in jeans and a t-shirt as usual. And, as usual, he seemed to be wandering around with his own personal wind machine rippling his hair. His eyes sought mine the moment he entered and all the voices in my head silenced. I wasn't crazy and stupid and simple, I was the person this dangerous, powerful, beautiful man had come to see. The intensity was terrifying. He walked towards me and I took a step backwards. I was just thinking of hiding in the kitchen when suddenly he was before me, reaching out to capture my face in his huge hand.

He curled his fingers around the side of my neck, pushing my chin up with his thumb so I had to meet his eye. His cool hand heated my skin, I could feel the blush on my breasts. I knew he was enjoying the throb of my pulse against his palm, it was beating harder and harder, echoing in my ears with every thump. My chest was heaving and he pulled me slightly closer to him so that, beneath my t-shirt, my nipples teased against his torso with each inhalation. His thumb stroked the soft flesh under my chin slightly as his fingers kept a firm grip on my neck, but it was the grip of his eyes that held me in place.

"You avoid contact because you know how much you like it when I touch you," he said as my skin tingled from scalp-tightening root to curling toe. I wanted to deny it but my body was answering for me. He leaned forward, placing his lips at my ear, creating even more friction against my nipples as I failed to calm my breathing. "Tell me Sookie," he whispered. Around us Merlotte's continued to run as usual, no one seemed to notice that in the centre of the room time had stopped as Eric warmed my blood with the danger of his presence. "Tell me where you want me to touch you."

Suddenly his eyes met mine, his face so close that it would take only the slightest movement on my part for our lips to meet. I'd put my hands on him in protest and could feel the firm slope of his biceps under the silky material of his t-shirt. I knew the problem wasn't just that I wanted him to touch me, it was that I wanted to touch him. I wanted to trace the contours of those muscles, I wanted to stroke his hair and grip it in passion, I wanted to …

"No!" I insisted pushing him away with a strength that surprised us both. I could not betray _him_! I wouldn't. I ran from the building, no one so much as glanced as I fled.

Grass whipped against my legs as I ran deeper and deeper into the forest, I could hear nothing but my own panting but I didn't slow. I felt so vulnerable out here in the open. I needed safety, I needed sanctuary. I needed _him_ to keep me safe. I ran into something solid with a thump.

Strong familiar hands caught me before I could fall. I slowly raised my eyes from the wall of chest before me to see those deeper than the ocean blue eyes looking at me. They were not mocking as they had been in the bar, they were sweet and full of concern.

"Sookie, what are you doing out here? You should be inside, it is late and not safe for you," he said. There was something different in the timbre of his voice, like it hadn't been hardened by centuries of survival. But it wasn't possible. I'd needed him and he was here, just like before.

"Eric?" He smiled in confirmation as he inhaled my scent with pleasure. It couldn't be, I'd just left his other self. My Eric was gone, how could he be here, holding me in the forest? But it was _him_, I knew it, I knew it in every fibre. No one else's embrace could bring the comfort of his. "I thought you'd left me," I said unable to stop the tears.

"But I'm right here," he replied with a confused smile. I gripped him looking far into those deep eyes for the truth.

"You doubt me?" He looked hurt. "I told you Sookie, everything I am is yours, I will lay it at your feet or discard it completely if this is what you want." His fingertips stroked my face.

"I just want you," I begged.

"I am yours." That beautiful smile, it made me want to melt but I held firm.

"No, you're not mine, not really." I knew this wasn't real, my Eric had only ever been a dream.

"Let me show you." And my Eric was wrapping me in his arms, pressing his lips to my mouth, his tongue bringing tears of joy as it searched for mine.

My Eric, the beautiful, powerful, incredible creature that had orbited me like I was the sun, that had been prepared to live and die for me, (well exist and finally die) that made me feel gorgeous and powerful and cherished in a way that I'd never thought possible. I'd thought him gone forever, a dream from which I had awoken, but here I was in his arms. I felt weak with relief to find him here, or had he found me? I wasn't sure and I didn't care as long as he kept kissing me.

Eventually I had to pull my lips from his in order to breathe but he persisted in his attentions moving to my throat. As he sucked and nibbled at my skin he crouched to sweep an arm under my legs and then gently laid me on the forest floor. Sliding further down my body he grabbed my t-shirt and pushed it up until my bra was revealed. Even as his hands worked their way underneath me to find the clasp his lips were at the material covering my already hard nipples, unable to wait.

Once they were finally free my Eric attacked my breasts with enthusiasm. His tongue curled around and the sucking was driving me crazy. My eyes closed and my head tipped back, I knew last year's leaves were starting to tangle in my hair as I writhed under him. My outstretched fingers curled into the pine needle scattered earth. No one could make me feel like he did.

"I told you you like it when I touch you," said a teasing voice in my ear. My eyes sprung open. Eric was laying beside me on the ground, watching me with amusement. At the same time, Eric was continuing his attentions on my breasts. Gasping from a mix of my Eric's suckling and shock at finding his more mischievous twin beside me, I was unable to speak. With a roguish smile the Eric beside me reached out and plucked a leaf from my hair.

"He isn't you," I argued trying to twist my head away but unable to move more than that as I was pinned in place by my-Eric.

"Are you sure?" Rogue-Eric asked, his eyes challenging mine. I grunted in frustration, couldn't he just leave me alone to enjoy his other self.

"Did I hurt you?" My-Eric asked looking up my body at me with concern.

"No," I reassured him.

"Are you sure?" He asked in exactly the same way rogue-Eric just had, drawing a laugh from the latter. I thought for a moment.

"No, you didn't hurt me, but I miss you," I admitted. My-Eric's eyes glowed at me in affection,

"I miss you too, but I am here," he slid his way up me so his mouth could meet mine. For a moment all distractions were erased and I was lost in his kiss. Then I felt an odd tugging and pulled my mouth from my-Eric's to see rogue-Eric suckling on my fingers.

"Stop that," I told him.

"You want me to stop lover?" asked my-Eric looking hurt.

"No not you, him," I said indicating the rogue-Eric with my eyes.

"I don't understand," said my-Eric with a sad smile then returned to the business of licking and kissing as much of me as he could get at.

"I bet you taste scrumptious," said rogue-Eric still licking at my fingers.

"Yeah I'm just as sweet as can be," I said through a gasp as my-Eric sucked a nipple deep into his mouth.

"And what about me? How do I taste?" Rogue-Eric asked rubbing his thumb over my lips. I'd licked him before I'd even thought about it. How did Eric taste? Did the Erics taste different? Did I taste different to them? Do oranges taste different to someone who's never even had apples than to someone who's tried every fruit there is? Rogue-Eric was still stroking my lips with his thumb waiting for his answer.

"You taste of memories, of bitter sweet memories, of perfect moments that are gone." I wasn't sure where that came from but it seemed true.

"A little ironic don't you think," rogue-Eric replied, he was moving closer, his breath fanning my lips as he spoke. I meant to turn my head from him but somehow I turned towards him instead. His eyes filled my vision and his breath fanned my lips.

"Since you seem to think I am such a frog perhaps you should kiss me," rogue-Eric said, our faces just millimetres apart.

"I kissed him and he turned into you," I pointed out.

"Then maybe it works in reverse," he answered and pressed his lips to mine. Kissing this Eric wasn't like kissing my-Eric, they were both exciting but there was a different type of thrill attached to this Eric, a danger and an aspect of the forbidden. I could feel his fangs and ran my tongue over them causing him to shiver. It made me feel powerful. When kissing my-Eric I felt the power of a protector, with this Eric I felt powerful because he was powerful and yet I still affected him.

"I could kiss you for hours," said my-Eric pulling his lips from mine. I felt my brow furrow in consternation and looked down to see rogue-Eric now working on my breasts. He glanced up at me to tip a wink then focused on the job at hand – or the job at mouth, I should say. My-Eric was watching my face waiting for a response.

"I think we did kiss for hours," I smiled at him. There was a gentleness to his eyes which, when coupled with the immense strength I knew he possessed, was overwhelming. How could one creature be such a mix of contradictions? How could he be everything and nothing? The most real man I'd ever known and yet little more than a passing fantasy.

"We did many things for hours," my-Eric said trailing his lips down over my collar bone until he reached the other breast to the one already occupied. I looked down to see an Eric at each nipple.

"Watch me Lover," said my-Eric glancing up at me. If he was aware of the rogue-Eric he wasn't concerned. Scraping across my skin with a fang he drew a little blood which he then proceeded to lick up in long, torturously slow laps. Rogue-Eric lifted up and shifted so our heads were near each other again. While my-Eric suckled, rogue-Eric reached out a hand and brushed his fingers over the breast he'd just vacated, reaching the nipple he rolled it between his forefinger and thumb before pulling on it slightly.

I felt a particularly strong answering throb down below and my body flinched with it. Rogue-Eric moved his face closer to mine.

"I'm better than him you know," he said tempting my lips with his. I was about to tell him to fuck off when I was distracted by my-Eric who lifted up onto his knees and started removing his shirt. He took his time and I watched the long manly fingers of a single hand work down a row of buttons revealing the creamy alabaster beneath. I was so taken with the play of his muscles as he slipped the shirt from his shoulders that I was barely aware that rogue-Eric had taken a firmer grip on his half of my boobs and was now circling the nipple with this thumb making both tighten. My-Eric looked at me his eyes full of devotion and trust. I glanced to my side, the same blue eyes danced with teasing. My mind was confused but my body wasn't. Another throb yanked at my stomach muscles in a very pleasant way.

Rogue-Eric leaned in and kissed me again. It was hard and passionate, insistent and triumphant at once. I wanted to protest but I was too busy kissing him back. My-Eric started to unbutton my shorts while his tongue drew shapes on my skin. I felt completely overwhelmed by the physical sensations as rogue-Eric worked my mouth with his. Our kissing was full of need, kissing that would usually be accompanied by thighs clenching hips, but my legs were under the lips of my-Eric who was kissing his way down them as he slowly removed my shorts. My hand fisted in rogue-Eric's hair forcing the angle of his head to my liking, a rumble like thunder rolled over me and his enthusiasm increased.

The undergrowth of the forest created an impossibly soft blanket as I lay there between two identical vampires that were so different. The Erics had very talented hands and with four sets of digits working their way round my body I was lost in the sensations for a while. Lips and finger tips had me arching into them as every nerve in my body ached to be touched and then was. My-Eric had slid back up my body to take his turn at kissing me again. Unlike rogue-Eric, his kisses were slow and gentle, soothing and comforting. I wanted to pour myself into him and bask in his attentions. I stroked his face, his hair, his neck as his mouth caressed mine.

Rogue-Eric was watching us curiously, his spectator status voided by the fact that he was stroking my mound, his fingers teasing over the lace of my panties. I knew I should try to prevent him but I couldn't bear the thought of him stopping, I tried to stay focused on my-Eric as he tasted every inch of my throat but rogue-Eric had other ideas. Much as I had enjoyed the tantalising process of my-Eric's slow strip, it didn't match the sharp thrill as rogue-Eric ripped his t-shirt from his body like it was nothing more than tissue paper, the move made all the more potent by his casual manner, it was in his way, he removed it.

My t-shirt received the same treatment and since my-Eric had discarded my bra I was left with nothing but my panties, on which the sharp attention of rogue-Eric's gaze now fixed. He eyed them with intent his face the picture of someone plotting an assault on a guarded fortress. Another thrill ran through me at the thought of his invasion.

My-Eric claimed my attention again as his lips returned to mine, his mouth so exquisite, his kisses so blood-tingling, I thought my heart might burst from the joy of him. Rogue-Eric would not be ignored for long though his fingers traced the patterns of lace somehow missing the point I most wanted him to touch, he tested the perimeter, a fingertip lifting the elastic without moving in.

I felt my body twist slightly towards him seeking satisfaction, even as I continued to kiss my-Eric. Rogue-Eric laughed but his fingers did breach the boundary of my panties and start to explore the feathery down beneath. my-Eric was massaging a breast, his hand keeping pace with his tongue.

"He's not enough for you," came the deep husk of rogue-Eric who had placed his mouth right by my ear so his lips teased the skin when he spoke. He punctuated his comment by sliding a finger into me. I gasped into my-Eric's mouth and he pulled back slightly.

"Lover," he breathed, his eyes dilated with passion. I wanted to tell him I loved him but just as I was about to speak rogue-Eric added a second finger and curled them both so that the only sound that escaped me was a strangled moan of pleasure.

Distracted from the sweet ministrations of my-Eric I looked over to see an expression of smug satisfaction on rogue-Eric's face, he'd done it on purpose. I felt a type of anger flare inside me and he pushed his pumping fingers deeper into me in response making something else primal flare in me too.

I glared at him as my legs spread wider and my hips bucked. My-Eric was licking and sucking at my neck, his hand kneading a breast was now in rhythm to match his counter-part's fingers. The combination of the sweet romance of my-Eric and the thrilling teasing of rogue-Eric had my eyes rolling back as I squirmed between them. Both moved in closer and I realised that at some point they'd lost their remaining clothes.

Slowly, rogue-Eric removed his fingers making me moan for their loss, I tried to reach down to keep them working. He caught my hand and pulled it up to his mouth. Sucking on my fingers he then offered me his. I accepted his offering, tasting myself as I curled my tongue about both that had been inside me. My-Eric had moved down to my breasts again and rogue-Eric rolled me gently onto my side, towards the first, so he could tuck himself behind me.

His lips were at my ear.

"You'll have to ask me Sookie," he said as I felt firm silken skin push against my thigh. He dropped his hand to lift my leg. "Ask me," he begged, his fingers stroking the soft skin of my inner thigh. I meant to say no, but the word that came out was "Please," as I arched my back to give him easier access. His soft tip nudged at my wet folds and my-Eric guided him in. I was so wet he slid in easily despite his size and I sighed with contentment at the feeling of fulfilment.

My-Eric looked up at me to make sure I was watching him as he drifted his head down from my breasts. His mouth reached my slit, his tongue flashed out and licked. I felt my muscles clamp down on rogue-Eric who pushed deeper into me in response.

Pulling my leg outwards rogue-Eric rolled onto his back bringing me over with him so I was on top of him. My legs were spread as I lay, my back on his chest, looking up at the canopy of the trees. I felt vulnerable and exposed, a feeling intensified by the fact that rogue-Eric was holding my arms out to the sides. But his repositioning gave my-Eric more access and he moved in to cover me, offering the protection of his head over my most private area. My back arched pushing me down on rogue-Eric as my-Eric spread my lower lips with his fingers to get better access with his tongue.

"He may bring you pleasure but I'm the one that fills you," whispered rogue-Eric against my ear.

"I'd enjoy you more if you'd shut up!" I gasped at him as my-Eric sucked hard.

"No you wouldn't," rogue-Eric replied smugly, "you love to hear my voice when I'm fucking you," the combination of his words and the vibrations of his speech that rumbled from his body straight into mine caused an erotic spasm through me that negated any argument I might have made. My-Eric added a few vibrations of his own and I moaned as my body surrendered to them. Rogue-Eric released my hands so his were free to add to the pleasant sensations running over my skin. I was worried he would get in his own way but then both of him started moving and I stopped worrying about anything at all. The two of them proceeded to work my body leaving me powerless to do anything but ride against them.

I had one hand, up over my shoulder gripping the hair of rogue-Eric tight enough to have been very painful for a human, he attacked my neck with his lips and blunt teeth while maintaining a steady upward rhythm with his hips. My other hand held my-Eric against me as he hummed and licked at me making wave after wave of pleasure shiver through me. Their actions were titillating my nerves, plucking at my body like a stringed instrument. I was lost to them both.

Rogue-Eric was keeping his stroke slow and steady, seeming to fill me deeper each time. When he pulled back I just wanted him to fill me again and cried out in pleasure each time he did. My-Eric was still working that sensitive bundle of nerves until I felt all of my insides starting to coil in preparation. The tension inside me was building fast and I tried to up the pace with my hips. Rogue-Eric gripped them, holding me still and my-Eric put his palm on my stomach pushing me onto his other self. As the Erics held me steady I begged 'please now' in desperation, I was so close.

Rogue-Eric sank his fangs into my neck as my-Eric sank his fangs into my thigh, his thumb pressed against my clit as I came harder than I thought possible, drawing rogue-Eric's seed from him with the strength of my inner embrace. The resulting shudder ran through us all as we slid together down the rabbit hole.

When I became sensible, I was on my side and my-Eric was nowhere to be seen. All that was before me was trees.

"Eric?" Had he left me again? I felt arms encircle me from behind.

"I am still here lover," came the voice in my ear. I rolled over to look at him, careful not to dislodge myself from his encircling hold. Rogue-Eric was smiling at me, his eyes were soft, like my-Eric, but I knew which it was.

"You're not him," I said snuggling against his chest anyway.

"No I'm not," his voice was slightly sad. But then, "I'm better," he added wickedly. I looked up and his eyes were dancing but he was still smiling at me. The comfort of his presence warmed my soul and I grabbed his head to pull myself up to his lips. Dammit, he was right.

[***]

I opened my eyes to see Eric, once again sat on my bed, watching me. His eyes were burning with curiosity and I was torn between the lingering lust, confusion, and embarrassment. How long had he been watching me sleep? Assuming the feelings I had when dreaming were as accessible to Eric as the ones I had when awake, he'd have experienced himself almost as much sat watching as he just had in my dream. My body still throbbed with the aftermath of climax.

His lips were tempting me, reality and fiction had gotten so mixed up lately, I could no longer tell one from the other, I did the only thing that made sense to me. I kissed him. I kissed him with everything I had in me. I poured all my gratitude, my affection, my desire, into that kiss. I wasn't sure if I did love this Eric, but I knew I could. I knew I so easily could.

He kissed me back. It was the kind of kiss only Eric could give, though it held something sweeter, something less urgent than when I'd kissed him before. Something of his other self that I missed so terribly.

As they descended, he was trying to be careful of his fangs, which I thought was sweet but unnecessary. I loved his fangs. With Pam and … well with other vampires, I'd always been slightly disconcerted but Eric's were such a natural part of him that even when I fantasised about a 'human' Eric, one that could bathe in the sunlight with me, he had fangs.

In order to reassure him, I pushed my tongue up to curl under and round one of them. He moved in for a deeper kiss at the same moment and my tongue caught the sharp tip. I felt a light sting and the warmth that told me my blood had been drawn. Immediately Eric sucked my tongue deep into his mouth with a deep groan of pleasure as he tightened his arms around me.

My hands had been gripping his strong broad shoulders and I moved my fingers up and along to stroke the sensitive skin at the back of his neck under his hair. I could feel his chest vibrating with a growl or a purr of some kind, it seemed to resonate right through me in the most delicious way.

I was back on the pillows. Eric was glaring at me in horrified shock. Eric was gone.

I forced myself to take a breath. Then another. I stretched out with all my senses trying to understand. Eric was gone. But he'd definitely been here. I could still taste him. Still feel the tingle on my lips from his. I closed my eyes and backtracked. Damn vampires did everything so fast I was always playing catch up. We'd been settling into a nice rhythm when I'd felt something go through him, like an electric shock or energy wave. Then, with a carefully balanced exertion of force and gentleness, I was moved back into the pillows.

His lips had been slightly pinker from kissing. I was sure mine were still pleasantly swollen and blood darkened too. There had been something haunted in the eyes that glared at me, eyes which you knew had watched a millennium of years, of nights, of hours, pass. Then Eric was gone.

I pulled the covers right up to my chin protectively as I tried to make sense of it. The way he'd pulled me off of him, the way he'd looked at me, I shuddered. It felt like I'd violated some unspoken deal between us. That haunted look was mine now. He'd given it to me.

[***]

Perhaps I should have been concerned with what had happened to me, with what I planned to do regarding Bill and everything he'd put me through, but I was distracted by what had happened with Eric. The look in his eyes seemed to be seared into my eyeballs, it was all I could focus on. I felt awful, an emptiness that somehow felt heavy had set up camp inside me. After _not_ pressing the call button on Eric's number more times than I could count, I finally called Pam instead. It took her a long time to answer which was unusual. When she did she sounded like her normal self though.

"I … er … have you seen Eric?" I asked hesitantly.

"Tall, blonde, arrogant smirk? Of course I've seen him, he's the vampire that turned me," she said in her usual droll tones.

"I meant _tonight_ Pam, have you seen Eric tonight?" I said with forced patience.

"Yes, he is here at Fangtasia," there was tension in her voice now.

"Is he … OK?"

"He has suffered no injuries."

"It's just, I thought maybe … that I'd upset him." There was a long silence. "We were … talking and he just … took off," I expanded.

"He remembered something," _schlarunch_, "that he had to do," she finished after the odd noise down the phone.

"Oh, well, as long as he's OK. I just … tell him … thank you, for all his help … I didn't get a chance and …"

"I'll tell him."

"Or maybe I should call him?"

"No. He's not available … something has come up that has him … preoccupied."

"Right. Of course. I know how busy he is, I don't want to disturb him or keep him from anything important. But he didn't mention … he's not upset with me?"

"He has not said that he is." She hung up before I could say more.

* * *

* étrénaingid: Made up from é – one, trén – strong or using all one's strength, aingid – protects (Old Irish)

A/N: Yes I know its cheating to sneak in a lemon by the medium of dreams but honestly I just couldn't wait until Eric and Sookie get their act together (they are so much trouble) and besides, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have two Erics at once :)

More soon. xx


	38. The Katzenjammer

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**I know this chapter has been a long time coming, I've had so much trouble with it (& with the internet/ my 'puter/RL etc). On the plus side it is quite a long one so I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm so grateful for all the love I've received, can't believe we've broken the 1000 reviews mark *blush grin blush* **

**The great and wonderful Treewitch703 has been a saint in putting up with my crazy and worked wonders helping me beat the words and ideas into shape so a great big cheer to her as always xx**

**As I do occasionally, I've shifted out of Sookie's head for part of this chapter to pay a visit to Pam, we return to Sookie for the second part.**

**Anyway, I'll make you wait no longer - here it is ...**

* * *

**Chapter 38: The Katzenjammer.**

**Dating Do: Do be supportive of your friend's romantic decisions, even when they are being a complete ass. You can't help them survive their mistakes if they've stopped yammering at you – or stopped you from yammering.**

3rd person POV; Pam.

Something was seriously wrong with Eric.

Pam had often wished she could fly as Eric could but never more so than as she tore through the night as fast as her preternatural speed would allow, towards her Maker.

They had not been speaking properly since he initiated the bonding with Sookie. She had agreed with Eric that he and Sookie should be bonded but Pam also thought Eric ought to explain the ramifications of blood bonding to Sookie right from the start, Eric felt it could wait. With a one off sharing the process could be abandoned, left to fade or even undone, it was not all _that_ different from a vampire giving a human their blood. They could talk about it later and decide if they wanted to continue towards bonding and in the meantime it would offer her more protection.

After that first sharing, Eric had again pulled back from from Sookie, saying 'it must be her choice'. Pam had countered that surely Sookie needed all the information to make a _choice_. Shehad urged Eric to stay close to his human, especially since Bill was still hovering around the perimeter, but Eric had insisted Sookie needed time and space. He had gone on about 'not allowing his blood to influence her decision'. Of course the greater proximity a vampire has to a blood-tied human, the more 'control' is at their disposal but they still have to make the decision to use it.

He had always been careful about not using blood control unless absolutely necessary. Even as her Maker he'd used it rarely once she'd learned control; he'd never use it on a human except as an extreme measure. Perhaps that was why Bill's actions hadn't roused his suspicions until much too late. But Eric _had_ commanded his child not to discuss any part of the bonding process with Sookie.

Although Pam disagreed with the way Eric was behaving, she was still excited about the sharing and the ultimate prospect of the bonding. She thought Sookie a good choice of mate for Eric. Of course there were still things to sort out; though Eric hadn't mentioned it, obviously Sookie needed to be educated in the ways of immortality, and prepared to be turned at some point, but there was no hurry.

The issue of Sookie _appearing_ to be Bill's had been cleared up right after Eric had bailed her out of jail. Bill had stated that Sookie was 'not Eric's,' thereby declaring that she was 'not Bill's' either which meant Eric was free to pursue her, but he seemed cautious how he went about it, taking it slowly. He was determined to woo Sookie.

Vampires could be like butterfly collectors, it was never enough to admire the butterfly, they had to trap it, pin it in a case for only them, not caring that they killed the butterflies in the process. But Eric didn't want to pin Sookie, instead he was opening the petals of his flowers in a tempting display.

While Eric had continued to flirt, it was flirting 'light' by his standards. He'd used this method before, whilst playing the game of seduction with particularly elusive prey. In the past however the whole game, the talking, the listening, it was just that, a game to get him what he wanted. This time Pam suspected there was an authentic hunger in Eric for Sookie, not just to bed her and feed from her but a true desire for her regard.

Something, though Eric refused to say what, had happened the night Sookie called him to her house and they'd gone out to dinner. Whatever it was, he'd been obsessed with the gap in his memories ever since. He had insisted that Pam look for ways for him to regain the time that he had lost. Pam knew he didn't want to take matters between him and his human further until that gap was restored and he knew what had happened between them before.

Her instructions had been to contact every witch on the planet if necessary. Personally she couldn't see what the big deal was. They'd had sex, end of story. It had been inevitable with them alone at Sookie's house for several days. Whenever they were in the same place they ended up touching, they were like magnets, drawn to each other.

Pam's face held a sly smile as she recalled Eric talking to Doctor Ludwig about Sookie. He hadn't told his child that the telepath had climbed into his sleeping place during the day. And he was loathe to share the information at all but Ludwig had needed to know everything. As far as Pam knew, Eric had never shared his day death with another apart from her and his Maker, certainly never a human. It was clear he had enjoyed the experience of waking to find a warm body wrapped around him. Pam knew she would too, not that she'd ever risk trying it.

Despite Pam's scepticism, Eric's slow seduction did seem to be bearing fruit. Pam was impressed by how well they worked together over the Were treaty. Sookie had been clever to arrange the negotiations without consulting Eric, thwarting his objections, and, despite being pissed at her 'high handedness' (the irony of which was not lost on Pam), he had recognised that for him it was a win-win situation; if they made a deal he'd look good and if they didn't Sookie couldn't get upset when he used alternative methods to deal with the problem.

Pam had had trouble controlling her face as Sookie berated Eric over the issue of her brother. Especially feeling his reaction when Sookie pointed out that if he was allowed to handle Jason then she should have been allowed to punish Chow for biting the witch and detonating the curse on Eric. Not only could he not dispute her point ('it's different for vampires' never worked with Sookie) but she was implicitly threatening to take issue with any of his vampires that created problems for her in future if he didn't concede, a threat they all knew she was quite prepared to make good on.

Everything seemed to be falling into place. Eric and Sookie were working well together and the attraction between them was so obvious Pam was sure it was only a matter of time before they gave in to their desires. With each new challenge, Sookie and Eric were learning how to handle each other, how the other's mind worked and why.

Then tonight there was a wave of turmoil from Eric that made Pam feel like her dead heart was racing.

Eric's disquiet called to her and she followed her blood, finding him at Lake Bistineau. It was late so any humans in the area would be asleep. Besides, Eric had managed to perch himself on a tangle of cypress roots that rose from the water, far from the bank. His legs, like much of the tree, were submerged beneath the glassy surface. It was a refuge you couldn't get near without a boat or getting wet, unless you could fly.

Had Eric been in less turmoil Pam might have complained about having to wade out to him. As she made her way through the water, he sat, not acknowledging her, sending out ripples as he moved his legs back and forth. Not surprisingly there was a hint of Sookie hitching a ride on the shoreward breeze that blew her Maker's reassuring scent towards her, Eric always seemed to smell of telepath these days.

Pam found an underwater root close to him where she could stand and not sink into the soft gumbo mud of the lake-bed. He glanced up when she got close and she was alarmed to see shock starkly limned on his face. He dropped his face back down and into his palms. It was so quiet she could hear a fish splash and the low gentle exhale of him trying to calm himself. Had something gone wrong? Was Sookie ill again?

"Master?" She said carefully, adding after a pause, "is Sookie OK?" It was a moment before Eric responded but then:

"Ég man." _I remembered. _He whispered so quietly that even Pam strained to hear him. She realised immediately what he was talking about. They had been trying spells, charms, potions, anything they could get their hands on trying to restore Eric's memory. Obviously something had worked.

Pam resolutely ignored that she was standing waist-deep in water and trying not to lose her shoes in the never ending mud as she attempted to coax Eric into speaking. She was not sure what he needed from her in a moment like this. Did she need to be understanding? It wasn't her strong suit, he knew that. Or maybe stern? Getting him to pull himself together?

"What do you remember? Did you learn anything new?" She still didn't know what Sookie had told him about his amnesia, maybe she would find out now.

"I thought you were just flyting me, about how he was." He mumbled into his hands. He spoke Icelandic, occasionally slipping into Old Norse, the latter of which Pam had some understanding of but was far from fluent in.

Retreating to his native tongue was a habit of his when he was distressed, something she'd only seen perhaps three times since they'd been together. She'd learned the basics of the ancient language and could usually get the gist of what he was going on about when he went into a rant in his long dead regional dialect. The use of Icelandic was a good sign, it meant he wanted to communicate with her, that he wanted her to understand him. There was the added privacy element of course, here in the middle of a Louisiana lake, even if there was a swamp-rat prepared to brave the insects, alligators and water to try and listen in, the chances of that person _also_ understanding Icelandic was fairly remote.

Eric had lifted his head from his hands and was staring, unseeing into the space before him. From the inward look on his face it was as if he was re-playing the whole thing on a screen behind his eyes. Pam waited in silence, trying to keep her balance without fidgeting, _he's processing, once he has he'll be fine,_ she told herself, but she was concerned by how much the return of his missing memories had thrown him. What had happened between him and Sookie?

"The things he did, that other vampire, I thought the spell had addled his mind as well as erased his memories. His behaviour made no sense to me, I did not understand him." A Luna moth skimmed across the water sending small collections of concentric circles rippling as it touched here and there. Like most other wildlife it gave the vampires a reasonable berth without avoiding them completely. Eric watched the giant moony jade wings shiver as the moth clung to a nearby branch while Pam watched Eric, his lashes mirroring the flutter. After a moment he spoke again. "But now I know his reasoning, it makes sense, every action, every choice." Really, couldn't he at least shift over a little so she could sit on the root with him? "He made wise choices based on his knowledge at the time, he made choices that ..."

"That you would have made, if you had amnesia." Pam finished for him, managing to give him an 'I told you so' expression as currents from his legs sent the slimy water weeds to brush against her. Even though it was clear Eric needed her to be practical she could tell she needed to handle him carefully. He was spooked, his muscles tense, which is always dangerous in a vampire let alone one as used to being in control as this one. The passionate part of Eric was likely to lash out and the control-freak vampire was likely to close down all discussion, something that, as her Maker, he could do in quite decisive ways.

"What did it?" Start small, with the easy stuff.

"She kissed me." Abstracted, Eric's fingers brushed his lips as he sank into that memory for a moment. Pam let him ponder while she processed. A kiss? She didn't remember any of the spells they'd tried needing that ingredient, it was like something from a human children's story. But all the witches she'd spoken to had said that magic was very organic. It adapted to individuals and their circumstances. Perhaps Sookie required something from the tales of her childhood for it to work? Or, as Eric was trying to remember her giving herself to him, the spell required her to give herself to him again as a trigger? Regardless the point now was what had he remembered that made him react the way he had?

"I take it she is feeling better then?" Pam prompted gently, deciding to keep taking it slow, easy questions that he felt safe answering. If he commanded her never to speak of it again they'd be really stuck. Softly, softly, catchee monkey.

"Yes she has some colour back and looks much stronger. A dramatic improvement in fact since last night." Though he was still only partly in the present his voice was a little stronger, she was on the right track. It was disconcerting to Pam to have Eric so off his game, couldn't they just agree to keep fucking each other already?

"Well, what happened next?" Pam shifted a little, making the water splash, hoping he'd notice her discomfort and let her onto his tree. He didn't.

"I told you. She kissed me and I remembered." His distant expression became more focused, he stopped swinging his legs and went very still as only a vampire can. Despite her plan to take it easy, Pam's patience - never more than a cotton t-shirt – was wearing thinner by the second.

"I got that part, I meant what happened _after_ you remembered. What did you do? Did you tell her?"

"No. I left." Eric was avoiding her eye deliberately now, a cold chill that had nothing to do with the lake she was standing in crept over Pam. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"You made an excuse and came here?" She asked against hope.

"No." Eric snapped out defensively. Pam knew her Maker well, and she had seen him around Sookie enough to know how clumsy his unaccustomed attraction to her made him. She figured out what he'd done instantly.

"You fucking idiot," she declared. Since she was watching closely Pam noticed the skin around his eyes tighten, confirming her suspicions. "You just left. She kissed you and you just blew her off." Pam slapped her palm against the surface of the lake in exasperation, creating a small splash and a loud noise, silencing the chirps of the night for a moment. "For fucks sake Eric, you know how temperamental she can be. From what I've read in Dear Abbey I think she has what humans call 'abandonment issues'."

Eric gave Pam a hard look to say this was hardly the point. But Pam disagreed. Eric was in shock but as soon as he got over that, he would not be happy he had upset Sookie. The night-chorus resumed. Now she'd started working at Fangtasia, Sookie was coming to a better understanding of the demands of Eric's jobs, Pam would be able to come up with something to smooth things over.

"Look perhaps I should call her, tell her you were needed urgently for something, that you hadn't wanted to leave but had to," Pam offered, luckily she'd thought to tuck her phone into her bra before wading onto the lake.

"_She_ is fine Pam." Eric was a great liar, even with her inside-line and insider knowledge Pam could not always pick up any hint as he deceived others. But not this time, this time the lie was so obvious Pam was offended. Eric's face went hard when he realised he'd done such a poor job at something he was usually so good at. What was Sookie doing to him? "Fine, she is miserable but she is not upset over me. It is him she cries for." Eric was trying to sound angry but there was hurt and jealousy hiding in his words.

"Eric you can't really think that she retains the slightest feeling for Bill," Pam scoffed. Eric made a disgusted noise.

"Not him, _him_!" Eric's fangs made an appearance as he contemplated this 'other' vampire.

Realising what the problem was, Pam huffed. It was hard not to let her humour get the better of her at the sight of his jealous anger and laugh out loud. Eric had the same possessive tendencies as all vampires, well perhaps a little more than most. Though stemming from an instinctive need for a hunter to protect their prey from other predators, in general these tendencies in vampires were about ownership, about power and control. They were _not_ about affection, loss of those 'possessions' hurt the pride not the heart. Eric might know how to turn his emotions to his advantage rather than simply shutting them off as most vampires did, but he wasn't usually sentimental.

When it came to his conquests the need to assert his possessiveness had never been an issue, Eric was beautiful, charming and powerful. Of course some of his prey had been involved to some extent or another with others _before_ he entered their lives, but no one had ever successfully rivalled him once he decided he wanted someone. Then came Sookie Stackhouse, who _had_ aroused his affections and who had fallen in love with another vampire, even as Eric pursued her. Pam had laughed herself silly when she'd first realised that Eric was facing the only love rival that had any real chance against him; himself.

Eric's comments during Sookie's illness had finally confirmed this theory, that he thought Sookie's affections were for his other self and not his true self. It was why he had been trying to let Sookie get to know _him, _he would NOT be a substitute. By that point however, Pam was sure he was wrong. Sookie may have been more prepared to make herself vulnerable to a memoryless Eric but it was Pam's Master the girl was attracted to. He wouldn't accept her arguments, insisting his knowledge of Sookie's feelings meant he knew more than Pam. She'd tried leaving a few revealing Dear Abbey articles around the office but he'd just shredded them.

Eric was deep in thought. It wasn't a surprise to Pam to discover what part of his reacquired memories he was focused on.

"They ... And ... he was able to ..."

"_He_ is you Eric, _you_ were able to fuck the telepath, and you can again if you pull your head out of your ass." The slightly amazed and bewildered expression on Eric's face made him look more like when he had amnesia than her Maker. She was hoping to goad him back into being himself but it didn't work. He ignored her baiting and continued to run over the memories, his glance darting around like he was in REM sleep with his eyes open.

"She let him inside," he murmured. He'd said something before about this barrier Sookie had around her that she wouldn't let anyone within, (by 'anyone' he meant himself of course) but he had breached that barrier once and now he could remember it.

"He was her ... her _boyfriend_. It wasn't just sex, we ... talked and he ..." Eric was stuck somewhere between confused and shocked. It was clear he thought he _should_ be horrified – and also that he wasn't.

"So, you held hands and snuggled," she shrugged off casually sending a wide ripple over the dark glassy surface. Pam could easily see the amnesiac vampire that clung to Sookie in her living room doing just that. Eric narrowed his eyes at her to say her tone wasn't fooling him. It was true that he wasn't the only one that had trouble reconciling that vampire with this one.

Then again she had seen her Master holding the telepath's hand often enough and he was always touching her, it was not such a leap that he would be Sookie's 'snuggle bunny' – if he was going to get sex for it. "Eric it's not that bad." He really was making a fuss over nothing, no one saw them acting cosy, and Sookie wasn't likely to tell anyone, his reputation wouldn't suffer, Pam wasn't sure why he was so affected.

"It's not just that. He was _happy_," Eric _tried_ to make that sound like something gross. "He liked it."

Pam couldn't stop the laugh that erupted at the vision of a happily domesticated Eric.

"Oh please, don't tell me you played house and wore an apron," she managed to gasp out. "I think it might be the final death of me." She found herself finally out of the water only to be pinned by the throat against the trunk of the tree, his eyes gripping her as tight as his hand.

"Pam, now is NOT the time," he said seriously. Pam's mood matched his tone instantly.

"Yes Master, of course, forgive me." He let her go and turned away. As he went back to staring out across the lake, she removed a small fish from her pocket. She had almost derailed her efforts.

That he'd liked emotional intimacy _then_ did not worry Pam, but she suspected that, remembering it _now_, he still liked it. Eric's problem was not that he _couldn't_ reconcile himself with that other vampire, but that he could. It was a dangerous situation for a vampire to find themselves in. Anything a vampire cared about was a weakness, something enemies would not hesitate to exploit. When the object of affection was a human – a small shudder ran through her. But even so, Pam was certain the two of them were better together than apart. Judging by the way Eric started shaking his head in a negative way, he disagreed.

"Master?"

"It is far too dangerous, especially for her," he said. She resisted the urge to shove him into the water, she'd have to try and talk him round.

"Eric at least let me call her, tell her something while you think through it all, you'll find a way to ..."

"There is no way," he snapped angrily, turning his head to glance at her.

Pam stood quietly as Eric returned his gaze to the water and continued to run through his thoughts, occasionally speaking aloud. If anyone but her had been present (not that he would ever allow anyone else to see him like this) they might have questioned how aware of his child he was. He didn't turn to face her again, instead his eyes failed to see the inky lake and inky sky before him though both were decorated with sparkles of light. Like his sight, his voice was turned inward as if speaking to himself. Occasionally she asked a question or made a comment. He responded in so much as his next words could be interpreted as an answer but his train of thought was erratic and included much more than what was said.

Pam had experienced this before, when Eric was working through a thorny problem. She knew her presence was not only noted but important. He would articulate his thoughts (or parts of them) and didn't _need_ her to speak, he could feel her responses and factored them into his thinking. But whenever he had done this before it had always been move and counter move that had been the subject of discussion, it had never included any risk to Eric's heart, except maybe a stake.

When it came to Sookie, Pam had to concede the stakes were pretty high, for both Eric and the telepath. Each of them attracted danger individually, let alone the additional risk of being together. Of course they were stronger together too but Pam knew Eric wouldn't be considering that yet, look how long it had taken him to get over the protective Maker stance and accept _she_ could be an asset, and Pam was a better fighter than most vampires her age.

Eric always had multiple reasons for everything he did, he looked at every situation from kaleidoscopic perspectives. As Eric's mumbles blended with the night sounds of the lake, Pam teased out what she could of his reasoning.

The closest and most immediate threat was the Queen. That bitch had been looking for a way to put the squeeze on Eric's balls ever since he swore fealty to her, no smart vampire wanted someone so old and powerful running around without a leash. She had only agreed to Pam joining him in hope of seducing her and using the child to bridle the Maker, but though Pam had enjoyed the sex (as had the Queen) no one came between her and Eric.

Since she'd already cast a covetous eye on Sookie, there was no doubt that, if the depth of Eric's affection for the telepath was known, the Queen would take the girl and/or try to use her to keep Eric in line. She wouldn't be the only one, there would be many that would want to use Sookie to hurt or control Eric and part of his fear was that it would work. Hot Rain had already tried, Eric had been horrified to discover that, not only had he _not_ protected her but had actually been the reason she was threatened. He'd been trying to ensure she was seen as nothing more than an asset to him ever since.

As an asset not only could Sookie not be used against Eric, his tactical reputation suggested he would kill the girl before allowing any other to have her. He'd been walking a fine line, keeping her as close as possible while appearing not to care for her. Sookie complicated this since she wasn't about to stay close to someone who didn't care about her which was why Pam had repeatedly told Eric he should explain everything to Sookie.

Pam pointed out that Sookie could hide her knowledge as well as any vampire but Eric shook his head sadly.

"That first night ... after –" he gestured with his hand; after Pam had broken the witch who in turn had broken the spell. "I was confused by the way she kept going to touch me, small affectionate gestures that she pulled back from but not quickly enough to hide her intent. It would only take a small slip like that in front of the wrong person." Eric had made similar slips himself occasionally but Pam didn't think pointing that out right now would help, he'd only get angry and use it to strengthen his argument that he should stay away from intimacy with Sookie.

In a way Eric's approach was the opposite of Bill's, pretending not to care so she wouldn't be used instead of pretending to love her so she could be wielded like a political sword. Even if Eric _didn't_ care about her he would have disapproved of Bill's methods. The younger vampire planned to slash her about, not minding how many nicks ended up in her blade as long as he got what he wanted – even the best swords do not last long in such hands.

Glad as they were that Sookie was no longer tied to Bill the question of who had performed the severing was also a troubling one, there was no way to know why it had been done. Was it Sookie's connection to Bill or her tie to Eric they had been after? And was the attack aimed at the vampire or the human?

Many wanted Sookie just for themselves, even Andre had put in a request after meeting her. She looked good, she smelled delicious and she had strength of character, being neither enthralled nor scared by their kind, she was a novelty. The weres and fairies were drawn to her too, Pam had been telling him for weeks that since she was so desirable the safest thing for Eric to do was to secure her to him as tightly as possible. Despite Eric's attempts to keep her existence quiet, word of the telepath was spreading and the only people convinced by his 'not interested' act had been Sookie and a few other humans.

Pam had been pushing for him to complete the other two sharings. From a vampire perspective, being bonded would protect Sookie under the oldest and strongest laws of their kind. She would be as much Eric's as Pam was. There were still risks of course, making her his official consort would mean Eric would have to declare her and her abilities to the council, which would make a lot more vampires aware of her. But the laws would protect her, and the council would have to support his claim. Of course that would mean the only thing between other vampires and Sookie would be Eric's true death.

Pam still thought it was their best bet but the more Eric wanted it the more he resisted it. The stupid thing was, if he didn't care about her he'd probably have bound her already. Eric was trying to stamp his control on a situation that was making him feel tumultuous, denying himself and keeping Sookie in the dark. Still he hadn't been able to resist making her part of his personal retinue.

The move had made Bill suspicious, a dangerous thing since they knew he was the Queen's spy. She had gone as far as to place him under Eric's specific protection, not only to prevent Eric from extinguishing the annoying youngster but to embed him firmly in Eric's circle. Eric had explained to him of small brain and little political savvy that the move secured his position as sheriff. If he were replaced, Sookie would go with him. Also, as Bill already knew, controlling Sookie involved a certain amount of 'kindness' on the vampire's part, he was easy to convince that this was the motivation behind Eric's 'nicer' actions. So far.

Pam still saw none of this as a reason not to tell Sookie everything. After all Eric had acknowledged that he trusted the telepath (it was rare for a vampire to trust anyone except their own children - and even that wasn't fool-proof). Disconcertingly, he eyed her intensely for a moment before returning his gaze to the humidity blurred vista of lake, trees and star splotched sky.

"You do not understand Pam. I ... _he_ ... made her promises. Promises _I_ cannot possibly keep. He did not know but I do, it is impossible. And she will think I am breaking my word."

"If you explain to her ..." Amnesia Eric may not have understood the Machiavellian nature of vampire politics but Sookie was learning to.

"I will not be another man in her life that lets her down and breaks his promises, especially after Compton. Besides, I am not the vampire that made those promises, she must understand that before ... No, even then it is no good, I cannot risk it," he mumbled on before drifting back to silence.

He was back to the question of who it was Sookie loved. Eric was completely convinced it was the other Eric she wanted, that she was only drawn to him now due to the blood they'd shared and the memories of before. He muttered again something about hiding his feelings, about persisting in his plan of letting her get to know the _real_ him while not giving himself away either to anyone else (for her protection) or even to her (for his).

Eric finally turned to look at Pam. There was a deadening in his eyes that Pam had seen before, it meant he'd decided it was necessary to do something he didn't want to do, for some bigger purpose. She wanted to protest.

"It is too dangerous, for both of us but especially her," he decided.

"Eric? You can't be serious?" She knew what he was saying, just as she knew he was dealing with it wrong, but arguing now would just anger him. She would have to persuade him slowly to change his mind. In the meantime she'd have to think of something to tell Sookie.

As if summoned by the thought, Sookie rang her at that moment. Pam felt bad lying to Sookie, saying they were at Fangtasia, but she planned to make up some work-commitment excuse for Eric's behaviour as soon as she could speak to Sookie without him glaring at her. She tried to hint the truth to the telepath but Eric saw through that immediately and slapped her with some soggy reeds that wrapped around her head. Eric looked apprehensive when Sookie suggested speaking to him directly so Pam made his excuses. He would need some time to harden his heart before facing his human again.

She ended the call quickly. Though she'd been as honest as she could, she still felt like she'd lied to Sookie and she didn't like it. She turned to glare her displeasure at Eric but as she did he flew off leaving her to make her own way back to dry land. She planned to make him pay for this, once he was feeling better.

**[~~~]**

**Sookie POV**

I was still chewing over what had happened with Eric the next morning when I heard a knock at the door, I was so distracted that for a moment I thought it might be him, coming to explain, until I registered that it was broad daylight so if Eric was at the door he'd have to be wearing Factor-Two-Million sunscreen and functioning on Chinese time.

The delivery man handed me the small box without a word and stomped off after I'd signed his stupid electronic thingy. I picked his brain and discovered his wife had made him sleep on the couch last night after he came home drunk, he hadn't slept well. I shrugged his rudeness off and turned my attention to the package. There was no indication as to who had sent it but I had a likely suspect in mind, only one person ever sent me anything.

Even inside there was no card and no message but I was now certain who had sent it and why. No one else would have 'anonymously' sent me a dream diary!

I blushed but felt a bit better, I had no doubts that, if I used it, the sender would sneak a look. I also had no doubts that this was saying more, that it was an apology of sorts, or an attempt at reassurance. Eric was saying we were still friends, despite whatever I'd done to upset him so much. Though the knot in my stomach had loosened slightly, I still felt down about the whole thing. Needing some me time, I decided to spend the day on two of my favourite hobbies.

Laying out on my ratty old sun chaise I couldn't focus on my book. Thoughts of what I had learned and what I still didn't understand over-rode every attempt to distract myself for a few hours. The sun was beating down on my back, I could feel its power. I knew it could be dangerous but it felt good, like its energy was recharging my batteries. I remembered what Dr Ludwig had told me, how the fae were tied to the elements, that their magic was bound to elemental power. And how elemental power was the Life energy used in the severing.

So Claudine must have the power of Life. What if she'd shared it with me somehow? Like when Loki had kissed me and said _'just in case.'_ I realised now that he'd shared his Entropy power with me. He'd probably been thinking of my connection to Eric when he did it but he hadn't specified. I already had the Mind power, even if my telepathy didn't count, years of learning to shield certainly did; it was the ultimate in mental self-discipline.

I thought about what Dr Ludwig had told me about the last power and where it came from. Supes could be so dense sometimes. I was pretty sure I understood how it worked. It was typical of them to 'threaten the life' of a human to get the use of their power, but I doubted it was necessary. Of course it would never occur to them to simply ask a human to contribute. I flicked a ladybug away that was trying to work its way into my cleavage and opened a bottle of water. I wasn't sure how it all worked exactly but I was sure it was humanity in their essential human-ness that were the source of the Prime energy.

Ludwig had said supes could _only_ get Prime energy from humans but I doubted we were the only ones that had it. The difference was that, unlike the supes, our prime-energy was not tied up with some other magic, it was an organic development that had been left alone. Shifters seemed to be a mix of human and something else (Loki), the fae were clearly completely other and vampires used to be human but had been changed by magic so it didn't work with them. If all this was right, it looked like _I'd_ made the severing happened, or that Loki and Claudine had somehow helped me do it.

Yes, the more I thought about it, the more sure I was I'd pulled off the severing myself. I remembered feeling that nothing was more important to me than removing Bill's blood. Somehow, I had tapped into the necessary powers.

Though I hadn't specifically thought about Eric's blood in me at the time, I knew two other things. One, that some part of me had made the conscious decision _not_ to sever our connection and two, that _that_ connection was what had enabled me to survive the process, to return from the deepest recesses of my own mind where I had retreated. Eric had helped me pull myself back from wherever I'd gone.

It was typical that, just as I was finally free of the remnants of all Bill had done to me and could see how much I cared for Eric, he apparently gets cold feet ('figuratively' – they are always cold 'literally') and runs off. Pam had tried to say it was a work thing but I knew she was covering for him, I just wasn't sure why.

The ladybug was back and I scooped it out of my bikini top again, putting it on the grass before taking out my sun oil and adding another layer. I continued to soak up the sun but my thoughts kept returning to Eric, to that look I'd seen on his face. Even though he must have felt my hurt, my confusion and guilt; even though he had sent me the diary in an attempt to cheer me up, to make me laugh and tell me he didn't hate me; I'd still hurt him, or upset him or something.

I pulled up the image of his face again. No, it wasn't hurt or upset, it was shock and horror. I didn't think it could be the kissing, Eric never minded kissing – did he? Perhaps it was the emotions he could sense I felt about him, maybe that was what horrified him so much, after all he'd said that he wanted sex and didn't care why I gave it to him, he'd never asked for my love.

Or maybe it was the dream, maybe the kissing had distracted him momentarily and it was the dream that had actually upset him. If he had any idea of its content it may well upset him. But then he'd sent me the diary suggesting he wanted to know what I dreamt about. I was feeling dizzy from all the thoughts and heaved out a sigh, accepting the obvious. There were lots of reasons why Eric might reject me, the only way to find out which it was would be to ask him. As much as it might hurt, it was better to know.

The ladybug was still hovering about and I swept my hand at it, trying to scare it off. I'd just have to have everything out with Eric. I would explain it all, how I'd been mixed up by the two versions of him; that I realised now, even though it had taken the other him for me to feel safe enough to act on it, the attraction had been first to his full self; that though I missed the other Eric sometimes, I had also missed him when he wasn't himself; that what I missed most was being able to share things with him, to talk to him about anything and everything and in reality I'd done that with both Erics; that I realised now we'd always been able to talk, even when everything was falling apart, even when _I_ was falling apart. I'd not been like that with Bill, not ever.

"You're a persistent little thing aren't you," I said to the ladybug removing it for a third time from my cleavage. I paused and lifted the bug on my hand up towards my face. I narrowed my eyes at it. "Perhaps I should just squash you and be done with it," I threatened. The ladybug flew off my hand and I wasn't the least surprised to see a grinning Loki standing beside me a moment later. He flopped down on the grass.

"Pervert," I accused.

"Guilty," he admitted without a blush. We lay in companionable silence for a while. Loki sniffing at my sun oil and me while I tried to organise my thoughts. I knew it was no coincidence he'd shown up again now.

"You've more of a glow than I thought to see," he said. "They've given you something to help the healing?" Though I wasn't sure how much to trust Loki, the fact was he had helped me to de-Bill myself. I figured it was only fair to answer some of his questions in return – besides – I had questions about the medicine I'd been given also, maybe Loki could answer some of them.

"Some medicine, a restoration drink or something."

"A restorative draft?" Loki looked interested before flitting off in the form of a fast moving bird and returning a moment later in the form of a small monkey, clasping the vial Claudine had brought in one hand while running on the other three.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked looking at me, when he was human once more. I shrugged trying to seem casual.

"Dr Ludwig told me the ingredients but I'd not heard of most of them, Claudine said it was mixed in Fae." I tried to watch Loki's reactions carefully without appearing to do so as he sniffed at the vial before testing the stopper with a quick flash of tongue. After a moment he nodded.

"Mostly it's just your medicinal herbs that grow a tad stronger in the fae light than on this world but nothing too unusual. To be sure though, there's a little something extra. Have you ever heard of Azoth?" I shook my head. "It's a highly magical substance that's used as a transformative agent, animating the spirit. It transforms this mix from just something that will restore to something far more powerful. Now it can enable transmutation."

"Are you saying it will turn me into a fairy?" I was alarmed by the idea, I'd already had to take a firm stand with the vamps about them trying to turn me, I'd never considered there was a similar risk from other Supes. Despite my growing anxiety, Loki continued to speak as if we were discussing nothing more important than the presence of grass.

"You already are a fairy, or partly one," he explained calmly.

"WHAT?"

I moved so fast I upset the delicate balance of my sun chaise which flipped over depositing me on my face – Loki laughed so hard he was gasping for breath. When he calmed down he explained.

So it was that, laying near the old farm house where my family had lived for generations, and surrounded by my Gran's flowerbeds, I discovered my Grandfather was not, as I had always thought, Mitchell Stackhouse (my Gran's husband), but a half-fairy called Fintan; That somewhere between planting the surrounding flowerbeds, my Gran had managed to have an affair with him, an affair that resulted in her son, my father, who was one quarter fairy, making me, his child, one eighth. I argued vehemently against the idea that Gran would have cheated on her husband. Loki told me off, saying I should not be so judgemental without knowing all the facts, not least of which was that the fae are pretty much irresistible to others, especially when they want to be. A dark thought threatened, _was this why Eric had wanted me? _but I pushed aside.

"You were talking about me," I finally said after a long period of silence while Loki let me consider all he'd told me. I felt so stupid for not realising sooner that I was the 'assynude' working for Eric, but seriously how was I supposed to know? I'd thought I'd known my 'true' heritage. I knew all about my family for generations back (all the Daughters of the Glorious Dead were obsessed with their family trees). When I looked at him I was surprised to note that Loki appeared as abashed as I felt, perhaps he thought he should have told me when I'd asked him before.

"You are who I was talking about," he confirmed, still looking apologetic.

"How could you tell, about my fairy bit? No one else seems to know about it."

"There are some that know. I think it is time I answered your earlier question." I looked at him quizzically. "'_What's an assynude?'_" he explained with a laugh.

Loki hadn't told me the story before because the timing had to be right, something he couldn't seem to explain beyond: _the time wasn't right then but it is now_ – with the added bonus that by telling me now he was doing so just before the fairies had planned to, which would piss them off, which made him very happy.

The other advantage to telling me now was that he'd been able to do some research after our last meeting so could now tell me a lot more of the story rather than just that I was part fae (which was all he'd known last time we spoke). He started by explaining all Asyniur were fairies, that is, they originated in Fae, but not all fae are Asyniur, there were many other types of fairy. Then he went on to explain why there was a lot more to it than Asyniur being fairies and me being one of them.

I might have found his story scary but the fact that he was incapable of behaving himself for more than a few minutes at a time meant it was told with regular 'light relief' breaks as I rebuffed various attempts at inappropriate physical contact from various animals and birds.

The people of fae live under a class system, a strict one, based on the strength and powers of the types of fairy. I was a descendent of the most powerful type, the ruling class. The Asyniur were so powerful that they had been mistaken for gods by some humans when they first came to this world and were worshipped as such. (I got the impression Loki had disrupted this worship somehow but no matter what I asked he was very careful not to tell me anything specific.)

I quickly figured out that the Loki-snake working its way up my legs was _not,_ after all, an attempt to scare me. I grabbed him by the throat as he tried to taste the scent of my inner thigh with his tongue.

There was a dark side to my kin, Loki explained. The Asynuir were not _elected_ rulers of fae, they ruled because they were the most powerful so could. They held onto that power by whatever means necessary, quashing anyone that challenged them with ruthless efficiency. He admitted that for the most part they did what they believed to be best for all, but woe betide anyone who disagreed with them. They tended to kill first and ask questions never.

Fintan, my half-fairy grandfather, was a member of a royal family, the most powerful of this powerful race. Which meant, even as only a quarter Asynuir, his son, my father had rights in Fae, not only for himself but over others. I laughed harder than Loki had when I'd fallen off my lounger at this point. Loki looked confused by my hysterics.

"Sookie?"

"You're saying, I'm a 'fairy princess'?" I managed to gasp. Loki laughed too. He'd been around humans enough to understand my reaction.

"I thought that was every human girl's dream," he said, not entirely seriously.

"I'm not six years old, and even when I was I didn't want to be a fairy princess."

"What did you want to be?" He asked genuinely curious.

"Normal," I said simply.

Understandably there were those not happy with part-humans having ruling powers in fae. Fintan had many enemies and after my father was born there were even more that wished his whole line harm. Gran was the one that sorted it. Loki was clearly impressed by her even though they'd never met. She made a deal with the Fae after Fintan was killed by his enemies. In return for all of my father's rights being removed, she and her family would be left alone, my father and any children he had would be the same as any full human, neither friend nor enemy to the Fae, forgotten.

Making a deal with the fae was not 'a light handshake and hope everyone sticks to their word'. Breaking a fae bond could sent ripples of bad magic throughout their kind causing all kinds of chaos. Like Loki's power, it was unpredictable, if you broke your word, you could never be sure _what_ would happen, only that it would be bad.

I decided the Loki-hamster was far less cute than he'd seemed, and _deserved_ being flicked onto the grass, after he tried to gnaw his way through my bikini strap.

Still, occasionally a deal would be broken. Such as when some fae came and murdered my parents. Some of Fintan's old enemies had corrupted one of his allies into finding his offspring and killing them. The hope was that, with an ally performing the murders, the magic would backfire on Fintan's father, a very powerful fairy called Niall. It didn't. Instead it weakened his enemies and made Niall full and sole ruler of fae, so powerful none could truly threaten him. Both the enemies and their puppet died before my father's children could be harmed.

It took some time for me to take in that my parents deaths hadn't been an accident, that their killer had planned to come for me and Jason next, that Gran probably knew all of this. Loki became a large bear, wrapping me in a bear hug while I applied this new knowledge to the story of my life. Perhaps those early losses had toughened me but I was able to accept it more quickly than I expected. Maybe it was just that I knew there was so much more to learn first, that it was important I learned it quickly, I could reflect on it all later. I urged Loki to continue and he returned to human form, cheekily doing so first and letting go of me after, so for a few seconds his naked human body was wrapped around me.

Apparently, although partly broken, the deal Gran had made held for the rest of us until she died. A bit of fairy trickery perhaps but more likely simply overlooked. The fae live a long time, lifetime agreements are standard, since Gran made the deal it only held for _her_ lifetime, which to the fae was nothing at all. Once she died, Niall was able to send Claudine to watch over any remaining children of his blood. Throughout the tale it was clear, as far as the fae were concerned I was one of the Sky Fae, one of Niall's family.

It was also clear that my position and importance was only because I had the 'spark' which seemed to be something not all part fae had. When I mentioned Jason, Loki only frowned and said that Jason did _not_ possess the 'spark'. This spark meant I had more inherent fae traits, like needing lots of sun for health.

"Fae need it, like air. Too long without sunlight and a fairy loses all vitality," Loki explained. Further, as a part fae with the spark I could develop other fae abilities and the medicine Claudine had given me would make any such abilities develop.

It was often used for this, many Asyniur have some kind of 'extra' ability. The process of these abilities making themselves known was called a quickening, when abilities were struggling to appear the restorative draft, or something like it, was given to encourage the transformation. While this only happens to full Asyniur if they come into a special power (their regular fae powers they have from birth) for me it was coming into my regular fae bits – or at least as many of them as I had which remained to be seen. This was the missing part of what had been wrong with me during my illness. My symptoms made no sense unless you factored in a suppressed fae ability that was struggling to manifest.

The Loki-ferret climbing up my body grabbed a handful of boob and looked pleased with himself, I lifted him off me and promptly tipped the rest of my water over his head. With all his fur stuck down with water he looked a sorry sight and he was still shaking the wet from his hair as he returned to human.

All fae are able to share their emotions with other members of the fae, like a projected empathy. He suspected my fae side had been trying to do this only it was turned in on itself, so I was not only feeling my hurt over Bill but also projecting it at myself so I felt it again, like a double dose. While that was happening my body was also having a blood war, my blood versus Bill's blood. It was no wonder I'd disappeared off to lala land. Unable to cope, my mind had shut down to protect itself.

"So the fairies will be able to feel my feelings?" I asked. Loki nodded. "Great! Just when I've stopped Bill doing that."

"It's not the same. Once you've control, you'll pick if and when to share your feelings, it will be like blowing a waft of emotion scented breeze at someone. In the meantime it'll most likely be erratic and blast out of you when you're het up, more like whacking a fella with an emotional sledgehammer. I don't doubt your étrénaingid will teach you control, and about any other fae abilities you might have."

I recognised the word, the one that Claudine had translated as Godmother, Loki explained the role to me. An étrénaingid was primarily a protector, but also a teacher, a guide. Part of the job was to train their ward to control any abilities and instruct them in the workings of fae politics and their duties as a member of the Asyniur. I suddenly had a thought.

"Are the fae telepathic?"

"None that I know of. Sometimes your extra abilities of an Asyniur are unique to the fairy, but I never heard of a telepathic one, why?" From the look on his face he already knew – or had at least just worked it out. I decided to focus on a possible benefit.

"What I really want to know, since fairies have magic, is can I use it to get rid of my telepathy?" I allowed myself to get far too hopeful too quickly. Loki was more sympathetic than most supes would have been (they all thought it was a great thing to have – probably because it wasn't them that had it) but he had to crush my hopes.

Firstly, since it was not a known fae skill he wasn't sure _why_ I could do it, secondly it was an essential part of myself, even if it could be removed, I wouldn't be me anymore. Furthermore Loki sensed I had the ability because I needed it, he couldn't say why, maybe for nothing more than a difficulty to overcome, but whatever the reason he knew better that to mess with such things and he hoped I did too. I frowned in disappointment.

"They may be able to help you control it better," he offered as booby prize. "The fae are used to that sort of 'extra ability.'"

"I'm already a lot stronger with my shields, since working with the vampires." Loki's eyes changed. "What?" I demanded.

"Fae and vamps don't mix," he said ominously. I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's why it gave me such a start when I first saw you at Fangtasia, I thought you might be a spy or up to something, until I realised you didn't know. Now you do, you'll have to stay away from Eiríkr."

"What do you mean stay away from him? I can't, I work for him, and I won't, he's my friend," I said defiantly. Loki smiled.

"You have your exceptions to every rule I suppose, but you'll need to be careful. The fae hate vampires beyond anything you can imagine." My eyes were wide. "What of your sharing?"

"What of it?"

"I cannot detect it, I assume it was severed along with your tie to the other vampire?" Despite his words it was clear Loki doubted this was what had happened. I said nothing and Loki nodded that I'd confirmed his suspicions. "This is very dangerous Sorcha*. If your attachment becomes known, Eiríkr's existence will be immediately forfeit, possibly yours too."

"You can't be serious?" But I could see he was, he was also scared for me, or Eric, or us both.

"Very, if you will not cut your ties, you must ensure that you are nothing more than an employee, in public at least, any personal association puts you both at risk." I nodded that I understood but I'd have to think about it some more, I changed the subject.

"So how come you know all this?"

"That'll be a long story and one for some other time. Now how about you answer _my_ question."

"What question?"

"Do you wanna make beautiful babies with me?" He had been lying on his front but he rolled onto his side at this point to show he was in the mood to get started. I quickly repositioned myself too so I wasn't able to see what he was offering and forced a laugh to hide my embarrassment.

I wish I could say that no part of me was tempted (not that I was by the babies part) but Loki was certainly an attractive man, in his current human form anyway, and he had been kind to me, he made me laugh, and he was the only one who had been straight with me about ... well ... me! It wasn't possible though, my heart was already committed elsewhere, even if I was coming to realise I had to close that door.

"Have you ever wanted to be with a woman for reasons other than trying to make a mini-me?" I asked to divert him.

"Oh sure, me wife Sigyn and me rubbed along for a very long time."

"You're married? Where is she? Doesn't she mind you making passes at random waitresses?"

"I think she would have liked you, she was Asynuir too, but she was killed, long ago."

"I'm sorry, what happened?"

"Like I said, they're a violent breed." Loki clearly had no more to say on the subject as he turned into a cat, jumped on my lap, curled up and went to sleep. I might have considered shifting him, after all it was warm even without his heat, plus I didn't want a cat-shaped white spot in my tan, but the sun had sunk so low in the sky by this point that day was turning to dusk, besides he'd let his claws out just enough to suggest moving him was a bad idea. I got the feeling that this time it was about comfort rather than anything else. I stroked his fur and felt the resulting vibrations against my skin.

Loki was still purring on my lap, as a cat, when Pam wandered out of the trees and eyed my bikini with fangy appreciation. I'd been so lost in thought I hadn't realised how late it was or that, despite the way things normally worked, I didn't seem to have been bitten by a single one of the bugs enjoying the evening air. I wondered if Loki somehow worked as a repellent. It couldn't be the fae thing, I'd been bitten before, recently too.

Pam had come to pass on Eric's apology for running out on me, or so she said, I had my doubts. If Eric wanted to apologise he'd have put it in a note with the diary. She also wanted to assure me I had done nothing wrong and Eric had not wanted to leave but had had no choice. She was covering for him, I knew that, but I let it pass.

While Pam explained that some important vampire business had come up that Eric had to focus on for now and that I might not see him for a while, I stroked Loki's fur and tried to focus on the good in this situation. I told myself that it was necessary, if I wanted to keep Eric safe, that I put some distance between us, at least until I could find a way to ensure he wouldn't be killed by my Asynuir family.

Pam looked suspicious at my acceptance, I told her it was fine and that I hoped everything was OK in the vampire world. I said that I would return to my regular hours, just one night a week at Fangtasia, immediately and to let me know if this was inconvenient for any reason. I could tell she was unhappy about something but her phone rang before she could speak her displeasure and without answering it she left. I suspected it was Eric needing her for his vamp business – or more likely telling her off for making apologies on his behalf. It wouldn't be the first time she'd tried to tell me things when Eric didn't want her to.

Though the loss of Sigyn was obviously something at still caused him pain, Loki was not one to linger on sadness. When he returned to human form after Pam left he was grinning at me again.

"You've not yet accepted my offer, though you now know I am free to make it," he said as if no time had passed.

"You may be free but I'm not."

"But you know now you cannot be with Óskmey Óski. I thought, when you spoke to Pam, you'd understood that. I assure you they'll kill him and they'll not be sorry to do so." Loki was certain of this. He was intense in his warning, all playfulness gone from his voice and face. I'd noticed that while he loved to irritate, annoy and even anger, he did not like to make others sad. I understood that this stark warning was him trying to save me the heartache of the kind of loss he'd experienced.

"So what do I do?" I asked him, unable to hide my emotions from my voice, accepting there was no hope for me and Eric was just not something I was prepared to do – not unless I heard it from the Viking. Loki thought for a long moment, so long I'd started to accept he didn't have an answer when he started speaking.

"I can wield Entropy when others cannot because I understand the most important aspect of it, you cannot control entropy and you shouldn't try to. You can never be sure exactly what Entropy will do, how it will interpret the desires of those that try to use it. For example, say you wanted to be warm, it might provide the sun, it might provide a fire, it might set you on fire or cover your body with fur, it might send you to a fire dimension or simply provide a sweater, there just no way of knowing." Loki was grinning, he loved the unpredictability of it. He continued.

"But what you did was not by Entropy alone. You wanted Bill Compton out of your system, you wanted your body to belong to you again, so that is what you got. You also wanted to remain connected to Óskmey Óski so that happened too. These were the results of the combined magic, of which Entropy was only one part, the part that helped dissolve the status quo, change what is to something different. However do not make the mistake of thinking any magic is purely what you want, Entropy rarely functions in such a straight forward way."

"I don't understand."

"I believe you are still connected to Eiríkr because you are meant to be. Stay quiet about your connection, keep your distance for now, it is unsafe to do otherwise, but know that it might not always be the case." It was hope he was offering, it was small and vague, but it was hope. I had the feeling I'd opened Pandora's box and Loki had just closed it again for me.

"You won't tell anyone? About Eric." He was, for the moment, the biggest threat since he knew so much, but Loki laughed

"You need not worry about that, if I ran into an Asyniur I can assure you there would be no opportunity for casual chit-chat. They hate me more than they hate vampires. Even if I could tell on you I wouldn't, I admire Óskmey Óski far too much to deliberately cause his final death, though I fully intend to cause him more trouble when I can," he grinned.

"Why?"

"Because we will both enjoy it." I wanted to argue, to try to protect Eric from Loki somehow but I knew he was right. Eric did enjoy the trouble and I got the impression Loki was unlikely to send anything the Viking's way that Eric couldn't handle.

"Well at least try to keep me out of it, I've enough trouble thank you."

"That you do."

* * *

* Sorcha (f), pronounced - SUR a ka, Modern forms - Sarah, Sally, meaning - bright, radiant (Old Irish)

A/N: A huge thank you (with a big wet sloppy kiss) to ArnaKittyPet for her wonderful help with Eric's Icelandic xxx

This chapter's title is The Hangover, Katzenjammer is German and literally translates as 'lament of a cat.' It means The Hangover. (According to my google searches)

The next few chapters are shaping up nicely so hopefully not too long before they are up. Thanks to all xx


	39. Live and let Lie

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.**

**As always, lots of love and huge thanks to the wonderful treewitch703 xx.**

**Also massive love and thanks to everyone for reading and especially those kind enough to take the time to review :) Special thanks to ArnaKittyPet for help with the beautiful Icelandic language, apologies for the Anglicisation of it ;) xx**

* * *

**Chapter 39: Live and let Lie. **

**Dating Don't: Don't underestimate silence, it can speak louder than words.**

Usually I enjoy it when a rain shower blows through. I love the sun, which apparently is a fae thing, but living in an area where plenty of sun is easy to come by, I enjoy the occasional shower too, especially when it's warm. Come Wednesday however, although not cold, the rain just felt dank and miserable, as though it was reflecting my mood. I wanted to see Eric, to be near him, but I knew I shouldn't, so even though I was getting what I wanted I couldn't enjoy it.

I left the window down on my car as I drove to Fangtasia for work, letting the rain flick against my face and soak into my clothes. The smell of refreshed nature tried to lift me out of my funk but unlike the rain it could not penetrate. The lingering threats I'd been cautioned about, the things that could not be, and the knowledge that despite many new family members and a new friend, or so I'd come to think of Loki, I was more alone than ever, all this left no room for the sweet spring air.

As promised, Claudine had visited for our 'talk.' I didn't let on that I knew most of what she had to say already, I gasped and argued in all the right places. There was little that Loki had not said, though some events were presented a little differently. Unlike me, she still didn't know who had performed the severing but she was very glad of it since I had survived the process.

She told me that my family could never risk a vampire connection, either the vampire or me or both of us would be killed first. Knowing that Bill was connected to the Queen of Louisiana meant killing him was to be avoided if possible so they were relieved it was no longer necessary. I thought it was a shame. Without Bill's blood in me it seems as though I could be recognised by the fae as Niall's great grand-daughter and be provided whatever support and protection I needed.

Steps had already been taken to include me in the annals, granting me official recognition. Claudine would be spending time with me to help me understand whatever fae abilities I had and to teach me more about the fae and their society. I wasn't sure how much I wanted to be part of fae society in general, but Claudine at least had saved my life more than once and I trusted _she_ meant well, besides learning as much as possible was always a good idea.

As Loki had warned, the issue of my working for Eric had come up. Claudine had expected me to quit but I flat out refused. She offered to 'release me' from any hold he had over me (I'd had to repress a shudder at the implication in her tone) but I told her I wasn't going to let anyone dictate my life. I worked where I wanted, for whoever I wanted, and I wanted to keep working for both Sam _and_ Eric.

She accepted it in the end, since it was only one day a week and I hadn't had Eric's blood (as far as she knew), and it wasn't anything but a working relationship. (I kept a calm and neutral face through-out her summary.) Luckily, although it had been clear that Eric and I were on more intimate terms during his amnesia, Eric's reputation as an 'eats, shoots, and leaves,' kinda guy meant Claudine didn't worry too much about that, even confessing she'd be tempted to 'go there' herself if it wasn't for the whole fae-vamp thing. Eric not knowing I was part fae was an important factor in her acceptance.

Even so, it was clear they planned to keep an eye on Eric and make sure he wasn't a risk to me. I pointed out that he'd helped me in the past but that only made Claudine more suspicious of him so I didn't elaborate, instead trying to downplay our interactions to things via Bill and me helping Eric hide when he was in danger (since Claudine had been there for that) and now my job which (I told her) I both needed and enjoyed.

[***]

By the time I got to Fangtasia I was wet-through with my hair draggling over my face and down my shoulders. A glance in my rear-view mirror told me I looked like a half-drowned cat, a pathetic sight. My imagination ran off before I could stop it; _I walk in, Eric sees me, concern fills his eyes and he wraps me in his arms for the comfort of the blood and his body, our eyes_ _meet_ … but my imagination was not playing nice, the fantasy continued rapidly … _the fae show up, Eric gives me that look that 'knows' I have betrayed him, there is a violent and bloody battle that I am unable to prevent or even take part in, the fae kill Eric while I can do nothing but stand and watch, the great Viking becomes nothing more than a scorch mark on the carpet._ I gave my reflection a resolute look and fished in my purse for some tissues and a hairbrush.

I looked far less worse-for-wear by the time I entered the smoky bar a while later. After the brightly lit parking lot it took a second for my eyes to adjust to the haze and deliberately dim light, even then only the fang-banger's white make-up and the vampires' soft glows glinted in the gloom. The usual sort of crowd, filled the place. Tourists smirked behind their hands, enjoying watching the fang-bangers as well as the few vampires present.

The fang-bangers enjoyed flaunting themselves for the tourists as well as the vampires, setting up poses that advertised their bite-marks (real or painted on). Some made direct overtures towards the vamps, others tried to be 'accidentally appealing', absent-mindedly stroking their necks or dealing with a persistent itch on their inner thigh.

The vampires were universally arranged in poses of ennui. There was only one that had the slightly sharpened look that indicated hunger but she was far more interested in the tourists than the fang-bangers. As I watched she smiled at one who took an overly-large swig of their drink and had a choking fit in response.

I made my way through to the bar, my senses adjusting to the smell of warm bodies and alcohol as I set my shields to firm. Sitting opposite Morgan, I ordered a gin and tonic. Normally I don't drink when working but tonight I needed something to take the edge off. My smile was a little crazier than it usually was at Fangtasia, luckily I was used to acting perky when I felt far different. Morgan seemed to know I needed cheering up and soon had me playing our favourite game.

For fun we would make up conversations for customers as we watched them across the bar. The type of conversation varied depending on our mood. Sometimes it was little more than what we knew the fang-bangers were thinking (even if they were not _quite_ so blunt in their actual words) For example:

Two fang-bangers standing in a corner scoping vamps, one points his beer bottle in the direction of a vampire and leans in to speak to his friend.

Morgan (in fang-banger/caveman voice): "I'm gonna get me a Vampire."

Friend scratches neck (all fang-bangers draw as much attention to their necks as possible, they don't even notice they are doing it after a while).

Me (in fang-banger/caveman voice): "Yeah, I'm gonna get one to bite me."

First fang-banger also scratches neck in unconscious competition of neck flaunting.

Morgan (in fang-banger/caveman voice): "Yeah me too." – That sort of thing.

Other times we'd insert more unlikely conversations such as:

First fang-banger is gesturing with hands (most likely about the size of a fish caught or a hoagie eaten or a man's penis)

Me (in fang-banger/pretentious voice): "Personally I prefer Cubism to Impressionism, there is something challenging to the eye in Picasso's work."

Other fang-banger licks lips, closes eyes and has a look of bliss on face.

Morgan (in fang-banger/pretentious voice): "But surely you cannot deny the beauty of Monet, the peace and balance one feels from looking at his Water Lilies?"

First fang-banger nods enthusiastically and toasts second, they chink glasses.

Me (in fang-banger/pretentious voice): "Quite so, quite so."

These are done in extremely pompous voices that you can only intone with your little finger sticking out as you sip your drink. We never got far in these conversations as we'd quickly end up doubled over laughing.

[***]

Once Morgan and the gin had calmed me, I went through to the office to work. It was the first time Eric and I had been in the same room since I'd kissed him and he'd run out on me. I'd come prepared with several work-related conversations in order to avoid any uncomfortable silences or awkward questions. I quickly suspected Eric had done the same, we were both determined to remain _very_ professional.

Even as I slipped through the door to his office, before I made eye-contact, I started speaking about some treaty issues that needed refining, which kept us busy for a while. Then there were plenty of requests for copies of the agreement we'd made and calls to return to people who wanted advice on their own treaty arrangements, and so-on, and so-forth.

Later there was a moment, a silence where we looked at each other, each locking within that which would not, could not, be spoken. It had come out of nowhere, one moment we were working the next so many unspoken words were pounding on the windows of our eyes unable to get out through the doors of our mouths. My pre-planning paid off and I was able to force from my lips some questions about a proposed amendment to the latest Vampire Rights Bill. We both blinked and the moment passed.

There was only one other moment of 'near-intimacy' just before I left. As much as I thought it safer to stay away from anything remotely personal, especially my kissing him, my upbringing would not allow me to ignore certain things.

"I wanted to thank you Eric, for my care, Dr Ludwig and everything." For 'everything' read 'you'; his blood, his presence, his care, I would not have survived without them. He was silent, a muscle twitched in his cheek. "Of course I'm happy to reimburse you for any costs, I know how quickly medical bills can pile up and …" my voice trailed off, I'd meant to keep the conversation genuine but formal, it was harder than I'd expected and the lump in my throat threatened to crack my voice.

I was used to not speaking my mind, to carrying on meaningless conversations despite there being much more beneath the surface, but with Eric it was just so different, so difficult. Our eyes were desperately trying to dig a secret tunnel to circumvent the enforced silence, our blood-tie strained against the imposed distance. But I couldn't tell him.

I knew what Eric was like. Even when he'd been without his memories, when I said there was danger his reaction was to run towards it. If I told him about the fairies he would confront them, if I told him a relationship was impossible he would want one (though as far as I could tell he'd never wanted one before, sex yes, but not a relationship). No, the only way to keep Eric safe was to keep him in the dark (fitting for a vampire). And he was shutting me out too, for his own reasons whatever they were, so this was obviously for the best.

After another silence Eric spoke, his eyes were bright with intensity, but his words were detached.

"There is no need to worry, medical coverage is part of your contract, besides it is tax deductible." There was something in the way Eric mentioned the contract, something that suggested he was as grateful for it as I was. Our blood connection had to be secret, it put Eric in danger, however a work contract was no big deal, nothing to make a fuss over, but it _connected_ us; it was nothing and it was everything. A small smile tugged the corners of my mouth upwards as he mentioned it which I suppressed quickly. I was tempted to ask how he was able to claim the tax when I doubted Dr Ludwig's services were licensed by the State but supes were good at setting up 'cover businesses' that mimicked the human equivalent (for 'official' purposes) while hiding the more unusual aspects of their work.

Eric didn't kiss me on the forehead when I left, I didn't give him an opportunity to. I kept my distance. I wanted to touch him far too much to allow it to happen. Not yet, not until I was stronger.

[~~~]

I was glad to be able to help Eric and to feel my disability could be useful to others even if it still felt like a curse to me. However, with all the crazy of supes, with everything I'd discovered about myself, with all the issues that seemed to come with being part of that world, it felt good to be just human for a few hours. Going back to Merlotte's, therefore, far from being stressful, actually made me sigh with relief, like slipping on my favourite bunny slippers after a day in heels.

In fact, as long I kept Eric and my issues with him in his own little (well quite large) box, I felt better than I had in a long time. When it comes to gossip, small towns can give supes a run for their money. Talk of me and the 'big vamp' that Bill had apparently 'sold me to' still fluttered about but strange stories about me were part of the norm. I found I enjoyed catching snippets of that ridiculous tale when I passed tables and people failed to shut up in time. I suspected my smile was somewhat less crazy than usual – the change unnerved people as much as my 'usual' crazy grin had – it made me want to laugh.

I slipped back into the routine without a hitch and it felt like coming home. The regulars talked about baseball and the price of gas and a particularly vicious pot-hole on the parish road that had resulted in more than one close call – it was so wonderfully normal.

For all that I would happily see Bill submerged in a big vat of silver, there was no denying his telepathy training had been of help. Sure _he_ was just trying to help himself but as a lucky side-effect he had helped me. Despite my illness, with my better control and the residual strength from the sharing, I was able to shield just fine.

[***]

Though in general work had gone well, I was not fully recovered and I tired easily. By the time I got home from the day shift I was looking forward to a deep bubble bath with the new book I'd picked up at the library, a late dinner and an early night. So I was already scowling at the knock on the door, even before I opened it to see a policeman standing there.

His gun was safely in its holster and he politely removed his hat as I looked at him.

"Miss Stackhouse," he said in greeting after I didn't say anything. I remained silent and after a moment he tried to soften the 'cop' in his face.

"I'm Officer Hope. From Monroe," he added.

"Uh huh," I acknowledged. Other than that I stayed silent waiting to see what he wanted.

"Might I have a moment?" he asked after another frog-chorus filled pause. Suspicious from the moment I'd opened the door, I focused on his thoughts. He was thinking I looked tired and it was a shame to be doing this so late in the day but they didn't want to wait. However he didn't quite think on 'what' he was doing at my door.

"What about?" I asked, trying to prompt his thoughts as much as his words. Only now he decided I was probably (and understandably) scared, his thoughts went to how to reassure me rather than his reason for being at my house.

"You're not under arrest but I'd like you to accompany me to the station." He held his palms up to me, _whoa_, as I took a step back on hearing his words. "Just to help with our investigation," he clarified quickly. "We'd like you to look at some mug shots." Since I was focused on his head I knew he was telling the truth but both Eric and my lawyer had made it clear that I should not speak to the police alone no matter what.

Still, I knew this guy really was only here for the purpose he said and that he meant me no harm in any way. Regardless of how firm Eric's orders could be, they had no chance of overruling years of Gran's instructions. Manners were important no matter what.

"Would you like to come in for a moment Officer," I stepped aside and a little of the tension dropped from his shoulders.

"Thank you." He opened the screen door and came into the house.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Thank you but no." We were on 'best behaviour' and it was making us both uncomfortable, I had no intention of dragging this out.

"Excuse me, but if you'd like to take a seat I'll be right back with you." I indicated the sofa and, once satisfied that he was planning to sit on it and wait, headed back to my bedroom.

I tried the lawyer first but I got his answering machine. I left a message. After a quick scan to check the officer was still waiting patiently, I retied my ponytail a bit tighter. Then I took it down, used a brush to smooth my hair, and retied the ponytail again. I decided the bobble I was using was no good, removed it, brushed again, and used a different bobble to secure a new ponytail. All the while my phone stared at me with that _'you know what you have to do'_ look phones can get. I stroked the runes on the case with my fingers before taking a deep breath and biting the bullet.

"I am here."

"And I am here, with a cop," I said. I'd not meant to blurt it out like that but my mouth had other ideas.

"Where are you?" Eric's voice was suddenly sharper.

"At my house. I'm sorry to bother you but I couldn't reach the lawyer." I tried to sound calmer, it wasn't the cop on my sofa that had my heart racing after all, and I didn't want to worry Eric.

"Where is he?"

"In the living room. He wants me to go and look at mug shots." Eric had made a sound of annoyance when I'd mentioned the cop was in the house so I explained in a whisper, though I knew the officer hadn't moved and couldn't hear me. "I listened to him Eric, he's telling the truth. They're trying to identify the Kravinoffs and I figured that's in _everybody's_ interest, isn't it?" There was a long silence, which in Eric-speak (or not-speak) meant I was right.

"Where and when?" He asked after the pause.

"Monroe, and now I think – he didn't say it but that's what he's hoping."

A tip-off had led them to some heavies that had worked for the dead officer. The heavies had confirmed what my lawyer had told them about Jacobs being involved in illegal activities. The cops had also returned to the address I'd given them and gone over it with a fine-tooth comb. They'd discovered not a single print, not a hair nor a fibre nor anything. The only reason to leave a house that clean was if you were in the system already – at least they hoped so. They didn't want to lose any more time but first they needed me to identify the people I'd worked for.

"I will meet you in Monroe." Eric hung up. I stared at the phone perplexed. He'd sounded cold and angry, though whether that was about the cops, the fact that I'd let the cop in my house or the kiss, I really didn't know. But, even though he was obviously not happy about it, he was driving all the way to Monroe to help me out anyway. He could have said he'd get hold of the lawyer, or to tell the police I'd come in on my own once I'd reached the lawyer, but instead he was coming himself. The part of me that wanted to see him started a catfight with the part of me that knew it was a bad idea. I headed back to Officer Hope trying to remember what the cop had actually _said_ and keep it separate from what I'd heard with my disability.

The officer stood when I came back into the room. Maybe I'm simple but I found those sorts of manners charming. My shields were still down so I knew he hadn't done it for effect, it was an automatic response for him, he hadn't really thought about it at all. Nervous I was going to say no and more time would be lost, he turned his hat in his hands.

"You may not realise it but helping us can help you too …" he started. My mind was still processing his thoughts as I replied to his words.

"Of course I realise it, do you think I'm stupid?"

"I think you haven't been cooperative."

"Have I been _un_cooperative?" There was silence in the room but not in my head. The officer thought I was right to be cautious, he assumed I'd called my lawyer and thought for my sake that was best, but he really did want my help and he did think I could be a little more respectful of an officer in uniform. After all by arresting me before, he'd just been doing his job.

"I'd have thought you'd want to catch these people as much as us," he challenged.

"I do, that's why I'm prepared to come to the station," I answered, enjoying taking the wind out of his sails. He recovered quickly, if I didn't have access to his thoughts I might not have known I'd succeeded at all.

"Now?" He asked hopefully (Ha! _hope_ful Officer Hope). He really wanted to catch the people responsible and he knew I was their best chance of picking up the trail. I nodded. The light caught his badge as he moved but it was the brightness of his smile that I noticed.

"The sooner you guys figure out who _did_ do it the sooner you'll know I didn't," I said. _I already know you didn't_, he thought but he couldn't say it aloud so instead he asked.

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'll drive myself." I thought I'd better make my position clear. "My friend is meeting me at the station. As long as he can be with me I'll try to help." He nodded seeing the sense in my choice to have 'backup' but then looked more carefully at me when his mind got to _who_ I might have called. He'd picked up that I'd said friend rather than lawyer.

"Your friend? The vampire?" His tone wasn't judgemental, he was curious about Eric and what kind of relationship we had, especially as stories about my bail amount and it being paid without a blink had spread like wildfire through the station.

"Yes, he's my boss," I said, since this answered the question in his voice without adding anything to the information he already had.

I was curious about my relationship with Eric too. He pretty much filled my thoughts as I drove to Monroe. There was so much to think about regarding the Viking, every time my thoughts touched on one thing about him they veered wildly off in another direction. No matter what I told myself and what other complications there were, I kept coming back to that look on his face, to the idea that I'd kissed him and he'd hated it. This hadn't always been the case, he'd enjoyed it the few times we'd kissed in the past. He'd even said it was exciting. So had something changed for him? Was it the thing with Bill? Did he think less of me because of that? Or was it just that he'd moved on? Or something else?

Obviously there was some political stuff going on with Bill and Eric and the Queen. I knew a false step could be bad for Eric, and for me. Maybe that comment about Eric not fucking me wasn't as casual as it had sounded, maybe it was an order not to? Or … I didn't know.

I was aware a _tête_–à–_tête_ with Eric might be able to answer at least some of my questions but my heart was fragile enough that I couldn't bear the thought of simply asking him why he no longer wanted me. What if the answer _wasn't_ political? Besides, if I started asking questions he would too and I couldn't have that until I knew more about the risk to him and how to keep him safe.

For some reason the police parking lot was full and I ended up having to park at the doughnut place across the way. Yes it sounds cliché but the Doughnut Palace was right there, what can I say? I had to scoot across a four lane to get to the station but thank goodness the road was quiet. Officer Hope was waiting for me on the veranda of the cop shop. I searched the area with my eyes as I approached but didn't see a red Corvette. Of course that was no guarantee that Eric wasn't about. Officer Hope smiled reassuringly at me.

"You will be safe inside," his tone was teasing over the fact I was obviously hovering for Eric but he also meant what he said, that I'd be safe. Of course he didn't fully understand all the reasons for my hesitation.

Apart from 'Doug' who seemed to really have it in for me personally, the rest of the cops had only reacted as you would expect in regards to a 'cop-killer.' Most of what had _felt_ like attacks on me had only been thoughts and they didn't know I could hear them. Sure a few had whispered insults, but given what I was in for, that it had only just happened, and that the evidence had seemed conclusive, it wasn't so unexpected. I wasn't expecting it to be the same this time, I was here more as a witness than a suspect, even though officially I was still on bail.

But I was torn between whether to keep my shields up or down. Down, it would be hard to focus and understand what was happening; no matter what their mood, large crowds made my brain feel under attack. However if I kept them up, I risked missing something I should know. I glanced around the Corvette-less parking lot again then made a decision. I nodded at the officer and headed into the station.

As expected, the many other thoughts invaded my mind, making it hard to separate out my own; there were cops, suspects and criminals, few of whom seemed to be in a good mood; some worried family members; a freelance journalist looking for a story; and some people dropping off paperwork or paying traffic fines, but I wasn't about to put my shields up, at least not until Eric got here.

"Are you worried they are criminals or that they think you are?" Officer Hope asked seeing me glance nervously round the room. It had been some time since I'd been around this many people and deliberately _not_ shielded my mind. The officer had meant to tease me, in the hopes I'd relax but realising my anxiety was ramping up rather than easing he spoke again. "You can wait for your friend in an interview room of you prefer." His tone was brisk but I knew it was hiding confusion rather than hostility.

"The interview room would be good, thanks." I flashed a small brief smile and glanced towards the main doors again as Officer Hope led the way. I really hoped Eric wouldn't be long.

He wasn't. The officer went to get me a coffee and Eric was led in by a different uniform before he even got back. There was a two-way mirror but I'd checked and knew there was no one behind it. Officer Hope looked disappointed to see Eric had arrived when he returned with my coffee, (he'd liked feeling like my protector until my escort got here) but he nodded politely to the vampire, placed the coffee on the table and excused himself. Eric and I were alone for a few minutes.

"Do I need to keep my shields down?" I whispered to him. My heart was thumping with anxiety. Eric said nothing at first but moved closer and placed his hand on my shoulder. My anxiety lessened immediately and I exhaled gratefully.

"Are you sure of them?" He asked as my heart started to pump more normally. I nodded at him and he nodded I could shield in return. Using his silence I put the barriers in place and relaxed a little more. Before we could say anything else the two big cops from last time came in carrying several large folders and a laptop.

The female officer whose name I could never recall looked focused and professional but not hostile, unlike Doug whose face made it clear his opinion of me hadn't changed in the slightest, even with why I was here this time. After giving me a pretty nasty look, he shifted to a more professional expression as his eyes flicked to Eric behind me. The woman barely made eye contact, she gave me a quick formal nod of greeting and then Eric the same.

"We won't keep you long Miss Stackhouse," she said, placing the laptop on the table and pulling out a chair. Doug slapped his files down loudly and sat. The woman indicated Eric and I should sit opposite them before taking her own seat. I glanced behind me. Eric was wandering in a way that told me he wouldn't be sitting. I shrugged vaguely at the woman and sat opposite her.

"My wife plucks my eyebrows for me," Doug suddenly said. The woman officer choked slightly as I looked at him in shock, sure I must have heard him wrong. He looked as surprised as the rest of us. The only person who hadn't reacted was Eric who, though he was behind me, I could see reflected in the two-way mirror. He seemed completely unconcerned by the strange confession as he straightened his clothes and admired himself in a way that suggested he hoped someone was looking at him from the other side. I repressed a smirk at the knowledge there was no one there.

Eventually woman cop decided that the best thing was to ignore Doug's comment completely.

"So we just need to confirm the details of your interactions with the people who called themselves the Kravinoffs and then we want you to identify them if possible. Doug was looking at me in horror as if I was somehow responsible for his embarrassing outburst. I avoided looking at him, knowing how short his fuse was. I wasn't sure what would happen if he snapped in front of Eric but I figured it would be bad all round.

Eric however looked completely uninterested. He wandered over to lean against the wall and started texting. With Eric having moved further away, Doug leaned forward and said, in a louder voice than his intimate pose suggested, "I think your vampire is really hot." I glanced at the woman, not sure how to react, Doug sat up sharply, once again looking surprised at himself. Suspicion crossed my mind and cautiously I lowered my shields. Doug was trying desperately to figure out why he had just said such a thing. There was a blank spot in his head and embarrassing thoughts popped forward every time he considered what scum I was and how much he'd like to … "I cry every time I watch Steel Magnolias."

I was torn between anger at Doug's thoughts, humour at Doug's words and not knowing how to feel about the fact he'd obviously been glamoured. Doug was a 'man's man' the glamour told him to reveal something unmanly, like primping or watching 'chick-flicks' or noticing the attractiveness of another man, every time he thought about being nasty to me, (or maybe anyone, as he'd so far only been thinking about me I couldn't tell how deep the glamour ran). He didn't understand what was happening (real men don't get glamoured) but resolved to stay silent. Though he was fuming, he forced himself to think about his vegetable patch at home and what else needed doing there, safe thoughts that couldn't embarrass him.

After a long silence during which the female cop seemed to be waiting for him to say something else revealing, she finally accepted he was done for now and resumed the interview as if nothing had happened, though she was clearly uncomfortable. If I didn't know better I'd have thought Eric hadn't noticed anything at all.

I ran through everything regarding the Kravinoffs again, she listened carefully and took notes. Then she had me look at mug shots. It was some time later, just when I'd starting thinking the Kravinoffs weren't even in the police records, that I finally spotted 'Serge.' With him identified the female cop was able to get details of known affiliates so I could look for the others. I found 'Ned'. It was only from his tattoos that I recognised him, a different haircut and facial hair made him almost unrecognisable until I looked more closely. When I mentioned this, Eric spent some time staring at the photograph too, it was a shot from waist up (rather than the usual head shots) and he was shirtless, I guessed I wasn't the only one that found his tattoos the best way to identify him.

Though I continued to look through photos, I didn't see 'Sasha' anywhere, maybe they'd just hired her to make up a family. After a couple of hours we'd all had enough (well all the humans had, Eric seemed perfectly relaxed playing Donkey-Kong on his phone) and called it a day. The female cop did her best to be polite as she thanked me for coming and asked me to call them if I thought of anything else. She glanced at Eric but he gave her such a cold look she decided not to address him at all. Doug also remained silent and kept his mind on picking his snap peas and when he needed to plant his cantaloupes until well after he'd left the room.

As we headed out I almost walked right into Officer Hope who smiled at me and indicated he'd escort us back to the main doors.

"Thank you for coming in Miss Stackhouse," his gratitude was very genuine, as was his smile. He held out his hand to shake mine, his grip warm and the perfect balance between firm and gentle. I had the impression he wanted to say more but was holding his tongue.

After keeping my hand and looking at my face for a little longer than was normal, he moved his gaze to Eric who was looming behind me. His smile disappeared quickly. He nodded, "Mr Northman," but though he dropped my hand, he didn't offer his to Eric. I wasn't sure if this was because he knew vampire etiquette or because he just didn't dare offer a limb to the stoic vampire that, despite being blank faced, managed to give the impression of trying to set fire to the officer with his eyes. Eric nodded back and turned abruptly to leave. I smiled a last time at the officer and followed quickly after the vampire. I was aware that Officer Hope, whose aura had stood firm in the face of the hostility coming from Eric's, was staring after us curiously as we left.

Once outside I could see Eric had managed to park right near the door - typical.

His eyes scanned the area then he turned to glare at me.

"How did you get here? Do not tell me you let the police bring you? That after the way they have treated you, you got into a car with one leaving yourself entirely in their hands _again_?"

"No." Eric was ranting which was not like him at all, I wanted to touch him to try to figure out what was wrong but I didn't think he'd take kindly to that. "I'm parked across the road, I couldn't find a spot when I arrived."

"I will walk you to your car." It was less offer and more command. Even so,

"Thank you." Eric looked disappointed at not having the car thing as a reason to tell me off so he made up another reason.

"I cannot trust you to walk near a police station by yourself, you will probably meet a serial killer and offer them a room at your house."

"As opposed to the pacifists I usually spend time with you mean," I snapped back. I got that he was suffering from some sort of vampire PMS but he was the last person that should lecture me about hanging out with murderers. I doubt there are many people about who have killed more than Eric, certainly no humans – besides, I'd killed a couple of times myself. "Come to think of it, I'd be the serial killer that other people should avoid." I muttered quietly, not wanting to be overheard by any cops.

Before I could get any further in my thoughts I found myself pinned against the side of the Chevy we'd been walking past with a pair of fangs in my face.

"Yes you are dangerous Sookie, but that does not save you from the danger of others – quite the opposite in fact." There was a long pause where Eric seemed unable to move. His face was very close to mine. His eyes weren't hostile they were filled with heat. When he looked at me like that, I doubted my certainty that he didn't retain any romantic interest in me. But the rest of the time … with the pulling away and the kisses on the forehead, he was just so confusing. Suddenly he hissed, "Damn it!" Then released me and walked casually towards the road.

Half-skipping to catch up, I searched my mind for something to speak about, wanting to break the tension, my mind fell instantly on the interview with the cops.

"Did you do something to him?" I watched Eric's face carefully as he checked the road for traffic, he knew immediately I was talking about Doug. He turned his head to look me straight in the eye when he responded.

"I did not." I was fairly certain he was telling the truth but there was something …

"He's been glamoured," I said still watching for every flicker of response.

"So it seems." Eric hadn't done it, I was sure, but he knew something … Pam! I couldn't tell if Eric had ordered her to do it or just knew that she had. I was about to ask but before I could, Eric was grabbing my hand to drag me across the road while taking his phone from his other pocket. He answered it, though I hadn't heard it ring.

It quickly became clear that he was speaking to Pam. I heard him tell her something about Bill having made a mistake in his identification of the meaning behind the tattoos, that the design was Russian, old school, and had nothing to do with sex crimes.* I planned to ask him about the significance of the tattoos but I forgot all about that when he started arguing with Pam. Well it sounded like arguing, he'd switched to some other language, it wasn't English and it wasn't that ancient language I'd heard him speak, this was something else again. Mostly he was yelling about a yule-feng stalker and a scar-prune croner, whatever those were.

Eric sighed heavily, spoke some more, then looked right at me and called me an odd far-lick or something like that.** Whatever it meant it didn't sound like it could be nice, especially after his attitude towards me tonight so I screwed up my nose at him. He looked surprised then laughed and ended the call with Pam.

By this point he'd been leaning against my car door preventing me from getting in. As he slipped his phone back into his pocket he looked at me for a long moment, that adorable crease between his brows.

He moved in for his, now usual, goodbye, I could see the intention and prepared myself for the contact. He missed. It happened once with me and my brother, I'd gone to kiss his cheek and got his ear instead. So when you think about it, it's perfectly understandable that Eric missed my forehead and we found ourselves lip to lip. Our lips communicated silently what they could never say with words. Though only a peck in some ways, it lasted longer, it did not deepen but it did not end.

He pulled back but remained stooped, so his eyes were level to mine.

"TTFN," he suddenly grinned with a self-satisfied smirk, moving aside and opening the car door in one smooth sweep. The tension deflated out of me and I shook my head at him. TTFN? Next he'd be asking me if we could be BFFs – 1000yr old Viking vampire or not, Eric was a big kid when he was feeling playful.

"Yes, TTFN Eric." I rested the heel of my hand over his heart and patted him with my fingers then turned away, getting into my car.

Just before he walked back to his own car I looked at him once more.

"Thanks for coming." He gave me a little bow and then left.

[~~~]

The following evening I sat quietly in a corridor at the court house and tried not to get my hopes up. I was in a suit Pam had bought for me (at least it had appeared anonymously in my closet and I assumed Pam was the responsible party, it was too conservative to have come from Eric.) My lawyer had filed a motion for summary judgement and this evening was the hearing. Apparently not only had all the new information called the evidence against me into question but there was also an issue about the early investigation. He was expecting the judge to dismiss the case.

The hard plastic chair wasn't comfortable, especially after an hour of sitting in it but to be fair, with what was going on, I doubted I'd have been comfortable on a pile of marshmallows. My lawyer had called me to say that, in light of information he had received, he was going to the judge. He explained that there was a chance the whole case against me would be dropped and suggested I come to the court house in case they wanted to speak with me.

When the lawyers had disappeared into a room, followed by a bunch of people who seemed to do little more than carry big files around constantly like they were fretful babies that would cry if they were ever put down, I'd sat in the chair and waited.

I watched the clock obsessively, sometimes counting the ticks of the second hand – it always quivered on second 49 then skipped to 51 – sometimes daring myself to not watch it for as long as possible – record so far 1 minute 23 seconds. Every now and then a lone person would echo their way down the corridor, eyes straight ahead, power and confidence in their steps, that look of knowing exactly where they were going and why on their faces. You'd be amazed at how many of them were thinking of nothing more than trying to hide how self-conscious they felt and wishing that in the very least the floor was carpeted to muffle their steps.

Once or twice small groups would walk together, passing papers back and forth along with terms like Alford Doctrine, Nolle, and Habeas Corpus. Mostly these people were thinking about what they were going to have for dinner or in one guy's case the fact that the lacy panties his girlfriend had dared him to wear to work were really itchy.

The sun had set while I was waiting and I wondered if Eric knew what was happening or if I should call him. I suspected the big 'No Mobile Phones' signs, with large pictures of phones crossed out, were taken quite seriously around here and I didn't want to wander off in case they needed me. So I kept my seat, kept my eyes on the clock and tried to decide if texting was against the rules or just talking on phones.

Eventually the door opposite me opened. My lawyer and a woman who had been introduced to me as the district attorney stepped out shaking hands and laughing about playing a few holes together on Sunday. The file carriers hurried out behind them and half sprinted down the corridor. I picked up a couple of bitter thoughts that, unlike the DA, none of them would have any time for golf this weekend, the new developments would mean a ton of extra work. I kept glancing at my lawyer trying to get a read on what had happened. For the moment though his thoughts were full of how good the sea-bass was at the golf-club. Finally he smiled in my direction, shook hands once last time with the DA and came over to me.

"You're in the clear. The judge has dismissed the case against you."

"So, so that's it? I'm not … I'm not …" I couldn't get my breath, my lawyer put a hand out to steady me, smiling kindly while I forced myself to stay upright. Once I was a little more collected he continued.

"You are not even a suspect anymore. The new evidence was very extensive..." He went on to explain what had happened but I didn't catch much of it because Eric and the judge had just wandered out of the room, chatting quietly. Eric was in a suit again and looked incredible. I wasn't sure how he had even gotten in there. It had been daylight when I'd arrived and I hadn't moved from outside the door so I knew he hadn't come that way. Maybe he just flew to the window and knocked? I smiled to myself as I pictured Eric doing that. But on more serious reflection I figured there was probably more than one door to the judge's chambers and Eric had simply knocked on a different one.

My lawyer brought me back to him by tapping my arm.

"Miss Stackhouse?"

"I'm sorry, I was distracted," I said, blushing.

"I understand. It's a lot to take in. Let's go sign the paperwork."

"OK," I glanced again at Eric but he was still deep in conversation with the Judge so I followed the lawyer down the hall.

As my lawyer explained the forms, slowly it began to sink in. I was free. No more charges against me. Eric would get his bail money back and I'd no longer feel the desire to hide every time I saw a police car. It was over. They knew I didn't kill that man. Tears poured down my cheeks as I scribbled Sookie Stackhouse again and again. My lawyer passed me an embroidered handkerchief and beamed at me.

Finally we walked away from the court house. I shook hands with my lawyer on the steps and breathed the free air like I'd been jail this whole time. In a way a part of me had been. I felt someone's gaze and looked around, Eric was at the bottom of the steps looking up at me.

I still didn't know what Eric's reasons were for drawing the line in the sand between us but I did respect that no-go zone and now had reasons of my own to agree with it. I knew he felt something for me, when we had close physical contact it was right there running into my blood, but for whatever reason he did not want to act on those feelings and even if he did, it was just too dangerous for him. Ever present, gnawing at the back of my mind I knew that my fae relations would wipe him out in a heartbeat (one of mine since he didn't have any) if they knew about the blood sharing.

Once I was only a few steps above him I stopped and we looked at each other in silence. Before either of us could speak Sam interrupted us by pulling me into a bear hug (not quite as literally as the one I'd had from Loki but still pretty thorough). Eric interrupted in turn by explaining what had led to the charges against me being dropped, which also explained why Sam was here.

When I'd told Sam that the bail bondsman in Shreveport wouldn't deal with me, he thought that was odd so later he went to see him. With some _persuasion_ the bondsman admitted that the cop had told him to refuse my brother's case. The cop had some dirt on him so he had no choice but to agree. He also gave up some of the cops other contacts – muscle men that he used to send messages.

"Sam I can't believe you … did _what_ exactly to persuade this guy to talk?"

"Sook you know I don't like that sort of thing anymore than you do, but I also know, like me, you do what you need to do. You look after your own and so do I." Eric growled slightly, perhaps at the suggestion I was one of 'Sam's own'. Sam looked at him in challenge and after a long awkward silence Eric continued the story.

"Meanwhile, I had people chasing up all the information you'd picked up from his mind too." He seemed determined to keep control of the conversation. "We were able to pull together a fairly clear picture of his activities including that it was him who put your fingerprints in the system – we think he took them off his shirt after you pushed him. Which, incidentally was probably the same event that made the Kravinoffs decide to set you up." Eric's look was almost accusatory, like I'd brought the whole thing on myself by losing my temper but the humour twitching the corner of his mouth told me he was just teasing. "We don't know what he had planned, whatever it was he didn't get a chance to follow through." He looked quite pleased that the cop was dead.

"So he planned to set me up but wasn't able to because he got murdered first – for which I was set up anyway!" Eric laughed, it was a genuine laugh of enjoyment; the more troublesome something was, the more Eric enjoyed it, especially after he'd 'won'. I frowned at him sternly and he made a bad attempt at stopping.

"Then yesterday I recognised the tattoos which marked a least one of the Kravinoffs as Russian Mafia …" Eric had puffed his chest out a little but I was too distracted to roll my eyes over it.

"Wait Mafia_?_ Like _the_ Mafia?"

"There isn't only one and they're not as 'Godfather' as you might think but yes in a sense."

"Why were the Mafia after a cop?" I asked.

"He upset them, it's quite easy to do if you move in their circles," said Sam.

"From there we were able to trace the hit ordered on him, altogether it was enough to clear you. Now they just need to find the people that did it." I didn't like the idea that the Kravinoffs were still out there somewhere but I wasn't going to let that dampen my mood tonight.

Standing on the steps to the courthouse I was actually slightly taller than Eric. Since this might be the only time I had the height advantage to get away with it I decided to turn the tables on him. I did what he always did. I leaned forward and, using my hand on his shoulder to steady myself, I kissed his forehead.

"Thank you Eric," I said. There was a sad acceptance in his eyes as I pulled back and looked at him.

"There is nothing to thank me for, you were innocent and it is now known, that is all." His sorrow was quickly replaced by mischief. "Of course if you wished to perform oral sex on me in your gratitude I would not say no," he added with a suggestive smile. I laughed. We would be OK. Feeling giddy from my freedom I made a comment that was far more brazen than anything I would usually say.

"Well I might have considered it, but if there is nothing to be thankful for …" I shrugged. It was worth it to see their faces.

* * *

* Ned had a tattoo of a knife through his neck. According to the Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive, within Russia criminal circles this means he has killed in prison and can be hired to kill again, – in other cases of prison tats, daggers refer to sex crimes. Crosses tattooed onto fingers (which 'Ned' also had) are universal for prison sentences – one cross per sentence.

** Eric and Pam are speaking Icelandic and using descriptive phrases rather than her name for Sookie, so she won't know they are talking about her - ljúffeng stúlka – delicious girl (sounds like yule-feng stalker), Skarprun – old Norse, annoying, vexing, Kona = woman, (scar-prune croner = vexing woman). Eric's full sentence after he sighs is "Ég hef sagt þér að það sé ómögulegt Pam og fyrir utan það, af hverju myndi ég gera það? Hún er ekkert annað en vandræði, þó svo að ég viðurkenni að hún sé ljúffeng" then looks at Sookie "og falleg" which translates as: "I have told you Pam it is impossible, besides why would I bother? She is nothing but trouble as it is, though I'll admit she is tasty," then looks at Sookie "and beautiful." Special thanks once again to the wonderful ArnaKittyPet for her help and suggestions for Eric's Icelandic xx


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